


The Winter Soldier Goes Public

by The Notorious Trollop Vo the Terrible (Voishen)



Series: The Domestic Lives of Superheroes [8]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Action, Alpha Steve, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Camping, Collars, Domestic Avengers, Family, Fight Scenes, Fluff, Friendship, Healing, Kink Exploration, Learning Disabilities, M/M, Married Life, Married Sex, Marvel Movie Quality Angst, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Medical Trauma, Mpreg, Nursing, Omega Bucky Barnes, Paparazzi, Pets, Planned Pregnancy, Possessive Alphas, Post Mpreg, Scandal, good advice, mama!Bucky, public school
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-28
Updated: 2015-03-21
Packaged: 2018-02-27 07:57:22
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 70
Words: 135,519
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2685170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Voishen/pseuds/The%20Notorious%20Trollop%20Vo%20the%20Terrible
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Despite the fact that Steve and Bucky have ‘settled down’, Bucky never really settled. Bucky still works as a SHIELD agent while he also is the mother of eight year old twins and a toddler. Work and family are keeping him on his toes when suddenly it all gets more complicated than usual. A disaster shuts down his children’s private school, forcing Bucky to enroll them in what he considers to be a total nightmare: The Public School System. The Winter Soldier tries to make adjustments in his life but things just keep spiraling more and more out of his control. In the midst of dealing with his friends, being hopelessly in love with his mate, and raising three hellions Bucky’s worst nightmare of all comes to fruition. After eight years of keeping his children a secret from the world, the word is out. The Winter Soldier and his family have gone public.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the true 'second installment' of this universe. As you can see it is the longest and it has a lot going on. This story begins and stays just as fluffy as the first for most of it's duration but it should be said that this universe is not immune to the struggles these characters go through. There will be action, drama, and angst in this story. It will be very intense but also well marked. The good news is, true to the form of the first story, everything will turn out fine by the end of the second part. The Winter Soldier Goes Public has a second part which will make the things that happen in this story all better. So be warned it's darker but if you get through the turmoil there is delightful fun recovery on the other end.

                Bucky and Steve have been mates for eighteen exceptionally good years. In that time they have fought a war, been frozen, tortured, unfrozen, reunited, healed, and started a family under the oddest of circumstances. They have two eight year old children and a toddler. Steve and Bucky are now 105 and 106 respectively. Despite their ages , the two of them look like they just hit thirty. Steve might not even look quite that yet. Bucky is a little concerned that at some point they’re going to get confused for their kid’s spouses. Thank god that’s down the line a few more decades. Right now he’s just trying to handle being a super soldier, ex-assassin, part time Avenger. Or more pressingly a mom.

                “Mommy!” Sasha, his daughter, screams.

                “What?!” Bucky yells back. He’s got a two year old on his hip and his twins running some kind of guerilla warfare tactics down the hall. The toddler is throwing all his food and spiting up anything Bucky manages to get him to eat.

                “Mommy!” His son, Jamie, yells. Jamie is running around looking for something. Bucky gives up on feeding his son. He’s got snacks and stuff in the car.

                “I said what! What’s going on!?” Bucky steps out of the kitchen and into the hallway. Sasha and Jamie are looking into the bathroom like there’s something dead in there. Bucky charges over to them and peeks in. The toilet is flooding onto the floor. “OH SHIT!” Bucky knocks the cover off the toilet and pulls on the arm that makes it flush. The toilet stops overflowing. Bucky is now standing in a big puddle of toilet water in socks with his baby on his hip and his two kids staring owlishly at him.

                “Mom?” Sasha asks. His alpha daughter looks calmer at least.

                “Sweet pea, just ask me.” Bucky says as he tries to figure out how he’s going to juggle the baby and plunge the toilet.

                “We’re going to be late for school.”

.oOo.

                The SUV Bucky and Steve got as a present from Nick Fury is parked outside of the twins’ private school thirty minutes after the first bell rang. Bucky has the seat reclined all the way back and the radio on. He caved and let his two year old nurse today. He’s been trying to wean the brat for months but he just doesn’t want to give up milk. If his mother was part of the other 99.865% of male omegas who do not lactate he would have been out of luck. As it is, Bucky doesn’t mind. It’s easy for him compared to the twins. Plus he gets to make jokes about Steve’s boobs still being bigger than his. Bucky lives for those jokes.

                Bucky runs his fingers through his hair and wonders if it’s time to have someone trim the ends. He’s kept it just above his shoulders so it will go back in a ponytail. Bucky props William up and roots around the various compartments of the SUV for a hair tie. He finds instead: gum, a squirt gun, a Lego thing, so many crumbs, a bag of chips, a fist full of fast-food restaurant grade napkins, and a crumpled up page from a coloring book. No hair tie. There’s an Albertsons around the block he could stop by if he’s feeling really desperate.

                Billy’s all but stopped sucking. Experimentally he shifts his son away from his nipple to see if he’s really done. He seems like he’s about to fall asleep. Good. Bucky picks him up and gets out of the car so he can arrange Billy in his car seat behind him. A woman talking with her wife a few cars away gives him a dirty look for not having a shirt on. He straps his son securely into his seat and then gives the two women a look. He licks the inside of his cheek, leans forward and mouths the words ‘Fuck you!’ very clearly. He gets in the car shaking his head. The nerve of some people. Nobody gave a shit if he was shirtless for the four years between his pregnancies where he was neither nursing nor pregnant. Now all of a sudden it’s a crime again. The shirt and bra he wore earlier is balled up in the seat next to him. He grabs the sporty compression bra he bought two weeks ago and pulls it on, mindful of the tender bits. He grabs the hoodie next and zips it up.

                He figures if he’s going shopping he might as well ask if there’s anything Steve needs that he doesn’t want going on the communal groceries list. He hits the voice activation button on the dash and starts the car.

                “Call Steve.” The phone rings.

                “ _Buck_!” He sounds out of breath. “ _It’s a bad time right now!”_

                “Sorry.”

                “ _OH HELL! PLEASE DON’T!_ ” Steve yells.

                “Steve?” Bucky asks, frowning and worrying his lip. “Baby?”

                A second later a loud boom followed by a thud echoes through New York City. Bucky’s heart thuds three times faster than normal. “Stevie!?”

                On the other end of the line Steve coughs. “ _Ugh that’s foul.”_

.oOo.

                That was the day a deranged mutant slug monster destroyed New York’s primary waste water treatment plant with some kind of earthquake device. Apparently a very smelly city is what mutant slug people want most in life. The earthquake and the sudden lack of proper drainage did more damage than anybody could assess accurately.

                Bucky might have been the most upset person in New York. Because of massive failure of the buildings water systems and the pungent oder, Sasha and Jamie’s ultra-exclusive, hand-picked, perfect private school closed until the problem is fixed. Faced with one of two options he chose the lesser of two evils. It’s still a nightmare but not as bad as trying to home school them. Two days after the intellectually dubbed ‘Poopy Disaster’ Sasha and Jamie are officially signed up to attend the worst hell ever invented by the United States. Public School.


	2. Chapter 2

               Bucky looks at the forms on his tablet like they’re his children’s death warrants. Filling these things in makes him feel like he's deliberately putting them in danger. Everything he’s writing is part of a carefully produced cover identity that he and SHIELD put together for his children. Cover identities don’t bother him, their first school had them use one too. Obviously he's very familiar with using them himself. The difference now is that the school isn’t aware that his children are using one with no backup. Bucky wants to just curl up and reject the world. Instead his toddler throws a toy at him.

               It’s a plush baseball. Billy sits playing with his baseball toy on his blanket in front of the couch. Bucky looks down at the child who looks up at him, expecting his ball back. Bucky pouts at him.

                “Fly ball huh? Yeah right!” Billy smiles. “I know that guilty face.” Bucky sets his laptop to the side and scoops his son up.

                "Play!" Billy giggles excitedly.

                “Hey Buck, where’s my jersey at?” Steve asks from the bedroom. Every other Saturday is baseball practice. They have an adult and kid’s team going. Steve got the idea few years back and now they have a whole league developed. Superheroes don’t have much of a place in regular team sports but if everyone on the team is super, then it’s a different story. It’s a lot of fun and the kids love watching and playing. They’re on a team with the Xavier kids and the Reed’s children. The twins are, of course, a model of bad behavior. Bucky’s very proud.

                “They got washed last night!” Bucky yells back as he tickles his son. The big baby burbles and laughs.

                “I looked in the laundry.” Steve walks out of their bedroom shirtless with his baseball pants on, belt undone, hair slightly damp, and bare feet. Bucky closes his eyes and hangs his head.

                “You are so oblivious it hurts me.” Bucky mutters.

                “What?” Steve puts his hands on his hips.

                “Nothing Baby Doll, you’re just too perfect. I gave the jerseys to Clint last night, they all got washed together in the big washing machine in the locker room. Stay still.” Steve does as he’s told, not getting it. Bucky takes out his phone and takes a picture of Steve posed like a natural pin up calendar. Steve gives him a look.

                “You have a dirty mind, Barnes.” Steve says sternly.

                “And you have a sinful body, Rogers.” Bucky shoots back with a playful grin. Steve blushes and looks away. Oh yeah he certainly does.

                “I’ll just go get those jerseys.” Steve says, careful not to look at Bucky as he passes him. Bucky smirks and swats him on the butt flirtatiously. Steve walks away faster. Bucky cracks up laughing, having temporarily forgotten about his woes. Billy swings his ball around encouraging Bucky to do something with it.

                Sasha comes out with a scrunchy in her hand. “Mommy will you braid my hair?” She asks. Bucky gestures for her to come sit in front of him. Billy sits in his lap and watches his mother braid his sister’s hair. She has the same beautiful blonde color hair Steve has. Her hair’s naturally wavy and grows fast. Bucky and Steve are already worried they’re going to have to beat suitors off with a stick in a few years.

                Steve comes back with all four of their jerseys in his arms just as Bucky finishes Sasha’s braid.

                “Here you go.” Steve gives Sasha her jersey. She throws it on over her t shirt and sits down next to her mommy and Billy. Bucky gives her the toddler while he puts his on. Steve goes to find an undershirt to wear to avoid his mate making eyes at him.

                “Jamie are you ready yet?” Steve calls.

                “Uuunnggg.” The eight year old responds. That doesn’t sound good. Bucky finishes buttoning up his jersey and goes to see what’s up.

                “Sweetie?” Bucky leans against his son’s bedroom door. “You okay?”

                “Stomach ache.” Jamie groans.

                “Oh, okay. Want some medicine?”

                “Yeah.” Jamie opens the door looking kind of pale. Jamie and Sasha very rarely have anything wrong with them and this is new. Bucky goes to the bathroom and gets him something for a stomach ache. He supposes this kind of thing is something his children are susceptible to. Jamie takes the pills with some water. 

                “You don’t have to play today, just throw some sweats on and come with us.” Bucky tells him.

                “Okay.” Jamie hugs onto Bucky and whimpers.

                “Baby?” Bucky squats down and looks at him. Steve stands next to them now looking worried.

                “Just hurts.” Jamie mumbles.

                “The medicine will kick in in a minute.”

.oOo.

                Bucky drives the family to the game with a lot on his mind. Steve sits next to him working on the lineup for the day. He coaches the kid’s team and plays left field for the adult team.

                “Is Jamie asleep?” He asks Sasha. Sasha looks up from the book she’s reading for class and checks on her brother.

                “Looks like it.” She says, unconcerned. She goes back to her book, _Island of The Blue Dolphins_.

                “Did he say anything about his stomach ache to you?”

                “No, not until this morning.” Sasha is distracted by her book. Bucky doesn’t think she cares. He sighs.

                “Have you ever had a stomach ache before?” He asks sounding slightly aggravated.

                “No.” Sasha answers, ignoring her mother’s agitation. Steve looks up from his notebook.

                “Have you?” He asks Bucky.

                “Well yeah lots of times before the serum but never since unless it was for a reason. It’s never just a stomach ache.” Bucky explains. That’s why he’s worried. What if it’s not just a stomach ache?

                “Bucky.” Steve says blandly. Bucky glances at him then goes back to looking at the road.

                “What?”

                “You’re over analyzing a little thing.” Steve assures him. “Just let it be.” Bucky exhales slowly and grips the wheel tight and then relaxes.

                “You’re right.” He concedes. “It’s probably nothing.”

                “Kind of like the school thing.” Steve adds, hoping to go for gold.

                “Not in front of the kids.” Bucky says with a snarl to his lip and a dangerous look in his eye. Steve shuts up before he gets on the wrong end of that. Steve may be reckless but he does have a sense of self preservation.

.oOo.

                Once the get to the field and settle in, Sue Storm Richards comes up to Bucky while the kids are practicing. Her children, Valeria and Franklin, are on the twin’s team. Her children also went to the twin’s school.

                “Hey.” She greets. Bucky smiles at her forlornly, knowing what the topic’s going to be already.

                “Hey Susie. Did you sign your kids up yet?” He asks right at the start. Sue groans.

                “Yes! I’ve had such problems with Frankin’s school! He’s been trying to graduate early. His _real_ school was working on the paperwork to prove he meets the state requirements, this new place won’t even consider the idea until he’s a sophomore in high school! He’s a seventh grader according to them! Never mind that he helps Reed, one of the most brilliant men alive, with his calculations. Oh I am so-! Errgh!” She pulls her hair. “Those people are narrow minded and inflexible. If a child doesn’t fit the cookie cutter formula there’s no solution but failure. I can’t stand it! Oh well at least they’ll have Wilton’s running within the next year.” Wilton Academy is the name of their children’s private school. “Then we won’t have to put up with this.”

                “Sue.” Bucky stops her.

                “Huh?” She asks.

                “You’re not making me feel good about this.” Bucky states with a snarl.

                “Mommy!” Jamie yells behind them. Bucky spins around. Jamie is doubled over wrapped up in a blanket gritting his teeth and cringing. He has tears in his eyes. “It hurts!”

                Bucky calls 911.


	3. Chapter 3

              Steve holds Billy and Sasha while Bucky cradles Jamie. Billy and Sasha are crying because Jamie is crying. Sasha is convinced he’s dying. She’s been sobbing about it for the past ten minutes. Steve eventually muffles her death predictions by holding her face to his shoulder and stroking her hair. Jamie holds his stomach and side and bawls. Bucky knows this is really serious, Jamie never cries. He comforts his son as best as he can while he calls everyone he knows who has any kind of medical connection.

               SHIELD is the first to show up with a chopper. The family gets in before the thing can properly land. Bucky starts screaming at them to move the second he’s in his seat.

.oOo.

               “An appendicitis.” Ingrid tells Bucky calmly. Ingrid is a nurse practitioner and midwife employed by SHIELD. She met Bucky when she delivered the twins. She has since remained on their contact list for any kind of medical problems the kids have. The six foot two, seventy three year old, ex- Stasi body building champion frightens almost everyone except for Bucky. “Simple thing. Just an infected vestigial organ. Painful but easily remedied.” She tells Bucky and Steve in her faint German accent.

               “Okay so what does that mean?” Steve asks, holding onto his mate like he might lose it if he lets go. Bucky lets him cling.

               “Surgery to remove it, a short recovery time. Lots of ice cream.” Ingrid says with a little amusement in her voice. “And don’t worry this had nothing to do with Hydra.” She smirks, showing off her crocked smile. She snort-laughs at the serious expressions on Steve and Bucky’s faces. They had actually considered that as a possible reason for Jamie’s pain.

               “Can we come hold his hand while they put him under for the surgery?” Steve asks.

               “Of course, follow me.” Ingrid tells them. Bucky turns and looks over at their adopted extended family who are sitting in waiting chairs watching Sasha and Billy while Steve and Bucky take care of Jamie.

               “We’ll be back in a minute.” Bucky assures them.

               “Come back soon…” Sasha says from where she’s sitting in Barton’s lap. Tony’s projecting a TV show on the wall to distract them all. Billy’s coloring with Wade.

               “We will, just wait patiently.” Steve tells them. He pats Bucky’s shoulder and steers him to go with Ingrid. They were only just down the hallway from where they took Jamie. They go thirty feet before they’re in a room with him again. Bucky almost yelps when he sees all of the equipment hooked up to his son. He’s tried very hard not to let the kids know how much medical equipment disturbs him but right now he’s barely concealing it. Steve goes over to Jamie’s side and lets Bucky choose to approach or just stand by the end of the bed.

                “Hi little fella.” Steve soothes his son. Jamie turns to face him, a little groggy from pain killers. He smiles dopily. “How are you doing?”

                “Daddy…” He holds out his hand very seriously. Steve takes it. Jamie pats Steve’s hand like he’s assuring him of something very important. “Chemicals are what dreams are made of.” Steve cracks a smile.  Bucky’s just so relieved that pain killers work on his children. They don’t work at all on Steve.

                “You’re not wrong.” Steve nods to his son. “Did they tell you what’s wrong?”

                “A wormy thing inside me blew up.” Jamie says confidently with the same delirious smile.

                “Yes that.” Steve nods. Close enough. “They’re going to make you sleep for a little while and then you’ll wake up and feel much better. Okay?” Bucky tenses and bites his lips. The Weapon hangs tightly clenched at his side.

                “Okay!” Jamie nods.

                An anesthesiologist comes over with a mask to put over Jamie’s mouth and nose. “Ready Jamie? I want you to count backwards from one hundred okay?” Jamie doesn’t notice that Bucky leaves the room when they put the mask on him. Steve waits until Jamie’s out to go after him.

.oOo.

                They’d put a mask over him too. It didn’t work it just made the surgeons fixing him up feel better. Most of those people were only loosely affiliated with Hydra. There are very few surgeons in the world that can work on the nerve innervation between his brachial plexus and The Weapon’s artificial nerves. His handlers told the doctors he was unconscious. He wasn’t. He was put into stasis but he was still awake. He felt them peal him open and change things inside him. It happened every time they made a change to the weapon or fixed an internal injury.

                Bucky hides in the bathroom. Strategically it’s a shit place to hide but Bucky has been free from Hydra long enough now to know that’s not the most important thing about a location. He’s in a hospital, he can’t just go barging around looking for the best place to hide when that might contaminate, disturb, or even kill.

                The door swings open. Bucky is sitting on the ground in the far corner with his knees hugged to his chest. The door of the handicapped stall he’s hiding inside is locked. Steve walks up to it and pushes just hard enough to snap the bolt on the door. Bucky looks up at him.

                “Took you long enough.” He says softly. Steve sits down next to him and pulls the smaller man into his arms.

                “I had to go tell everyone we’d be a little longer.” Steve rubs Bucky’s back. Bucky curls up with his head on Steve’s shoulder. Slowly he decompresses until he’s draped on Steve like a warm blanket. Steve holds him tenderly. “What was it?” Steve asks.

                “Everything. I don’t know. The mask was the worst. I was already scared then it just got… familiar. Then it was terrifying.”

                “It’s okay to be terrified, Buck.” Steve kisses his temple. “Just as long as you don’t make yourself too hard to find.”

                “Are you scared?” Bucky asks him around the lump in his throat.

                “Nah I survived this operation in 1926 as the sickest kid ever. He’ll be fine.”

                “You were eight too?” Bucky smiles against Steve’s neck. “I forgot about that.”

                “What?” Steve sounds shocked. “ _You_ forgot something about _me_? Especially something as important as how old I was when I lost my appendix! I think we might have to take you back to therapy, Buck. You’re losing it again.” Bucky sits up and punches Steve right in the boob. “Oww!” Steve laughs as he guards himself and rubs the injury.

                “God you’re such a punk!” Bucky snaps, barely holding back laughter at the way his mate gives him a hurt look and scoots away. “Get back here!”

.oOo.

                The pediatric ward takes good care of The Avengers. They’re all basically large children anyway. The surgery doesn’t take that long. They watch one movie together. Bucky and Steve came back after only being gone for about fifteen minutes. By then a cuddle puddle started in the waiting room. Tony decided this was a good time to live the childhood he never had and build an awesome couch bed. They pushed together two couches and now six people have managed to cuddle together. The more prickly/private members of the group sit in the left over plush couches laughing at the group that is either ridiculously comfortable or in a state of dystopia depending on whether someone wants to get up. Bucky and Steve have their own cuddle pile on a couch with just them and Billy. Sasha’s role models and protectors, Clint and Wade, are making sure she doesn’t get squished in the cuddle couch by (of course) doing it themselves.  Steve and Bucky are the only ones who pay attention to the movie the whole time. Those two love The Little Mermaid because it’s the first Disney movie were the ‘princess’ is a male omega. They sing every last word of the songs. Steve’s okay at singing but Bucky’s actually quite the crooner.

                As soon as Jamie wakes up after surgery Sasha runs into his room.

                “Jamie! Jamie! Jamie!” She yells. Jamie blinks slowly trying to come back from the anesthesia.

                “What?” He asks as he rubs his eyes. Steve and Bucky gather next to him. Bucky kisses his forehead while Steve hugs him.

                “You missed mommy and daddy singing!”

                “AWW!” He yells. “Nuts!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Head canon for gender bent male omega Ariel = http://sakimichan.deviantart.com/art/Out-of-water-439807364  
> I mean seriously, why is this not the real movie? On a completely unrelated note, every time I look at my stats for this story about a hundred people have viewed it. This means, most likely, I have a small herd of people checking to see if the story has updated every hours or so. I have a less stressful suggestion for you. Just subscribe to the story. Only 25 of you crazy people have done so thus far and I know there are more of you than that who are anxiously awaiting new installments. Even if you don't want to stop checking every other minute to see if I've updated, please subscribe so that I can gauge how many people are interested. I like to imagine you all are sitting in a classroom or gym hall or something. It helps motivate me and put my audience in perspective. Thanks so much for the continued interest from all of you. I missed the commentators just as much as the pairing( and the ease of writing this stuff). 
> 
> -The Trollop


	4. Chapter 4

The Next Day

                 Normally Bucky would never ever leave Jamie when he’s not feeling good. Unfortunately tomorrow is Sasha’s first day at the dreaded public school and Bucky hasn’t had the chance to break in and install surveillance yet. Barton and Natasha volunteered to stay home and watch the kiddos while Steve and Bucky go deface their children’s school while also making it safer.

                Barton puts his hearing aid in his right ear and cracks his neck back and forth. He may have 70% hearing loss in his right ear and 30% in his left but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t enjoy his little pleasures. Like cookie-cutter pop songs. The marksmen walks up to his stereo and shuffles through songs on his ipod. He moves his mouth from side to side as he thinks. He smiles when he spots the song he suddenly feels like hearing. He pushes play and takes a step away from the sound system. The bass is up so high on this thing he can feel it in his chest. He knows all the words to the song. The choreography too.

                He moonwalks backwards on the hardwood floor into his kitchen and turns on the stove. He twists his arms in time with the music until the dance part actually starts.

                “I stay out too late!” He sings in falsetto. “Got nothing in my brain! That’s what people say! That’s what people say-ay-ay-ay. Oh no!” He takes out a skillet and pancake batter he has stored in a recycled ketchup bottle. “I go on too many dates but I can’t make um stay. At least that’s what people say! That’s what people say…” He starts muttering as he gives his head a good scratch. Natasha comes back from the hallway with another throw blanket while balancing on the tips of her toes. She tosses the blanket to the enraptured children watching on the couch and does the ballet choreography on point. “But I keep cruising. Can't stop, won't stop moving. It's like I got this music in my mind saying, ‘It's gonna be alright’!” Clint sings and does the goofy hip thrusts while Nat does the acrobatic jumps. They both lean over the island kitchen counter and sing to the other,

                “'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play! And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate!” Clint flips a pancake without messing up their duet. He points at Natasha as he over sings, “Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake. I shake it off, I shake it off!” Natasha snort laughs and covers her face embarrassedly.

                “Wow. You guys are gigantic dorks.” Wade says from where he was watching on the couch with the twins.

                “JARVIS turn the music down so I don’t have to stress myself yelling.” Barton says with a half smirk.

                “We’d dance for you if you lost organs for more than five minutes at a time.” Natasha says with the other half of Clint’s smile. Wade has his mask pulled up to nose level so Barton can read his lips.

                “That’s not fair!” Wade complains. “I think I deserve ‘Single Ladies’ _at least_ for all the times I’ve saved your butt!” Jamie and Sasha giggle at their funny family members. Jamie is being rewarded for his bravery yesterday by show tunes, ice cream, and a little pancakes. The kid can eat like his dad.

                “I only dance like an idiot when I have a worthy audience.” Clint says as he cooks. “Or a T Swift nostalgia moment. But that doesn’t happen nearly as often as you’d think.”

                Natasha nods her head rapidly in contradiction behind Barton’s back.

                “I can see you doing that you know.” He tells her.

                “How?” Sasha asks. Clint points at a couple of reflective surfaces around the stove.

                “It’s all about reflections.” Clint says very sagaciously. Wade blows that off with a wave of his hand.

                “Please! That doesn’t even cover half of how it’s done. First off there’s-.” Wade stops when out of nowhere there is a spatula handle in his mouth all the way to the back of his throat. Jamie and Sasha’s jaws drop slowly.

                “Don’t argue with the master marksmen. If they want to know about swords, microwave Mexican food, or spandex then they can ask you.” Clint takes out another spatula and returns to cooking. Wade carefully regurgitates the spatula.

                “How did you even throw that? That doesn’t make physics?” Wade croaks.

                “Yes it does. I already explained. Reflections.”

.oOo.

                Steve stands on top of a third grader sized desk so he can prop open a ceiling tile to feed wire to his mate. Bucky is up in the ceiling installing the audio and the electrical work for the video. The cameras are the size of a small house flys and work wirelessly within six feet of their network cord. Bucky has to get these wires to within that range for each one of his cameras if he wants to get the maximum resolution quality.

                “You sure you’re okay up there?” Steve asks.

                “Yes, for the fifth time I’m fine.” Bucky assures him as he splits a wire. He’s not the best at the electrical part but he makes do. A good tech team could do this in less than half an hour. So far Bucky and Steve have been there for one and they’re almost finished. Not bad considering a field tech team normally has four guys with master’s degrees at the least. Steve and Bucky are just two antiques that love each other.

                Bucky attaches the last bit to ground the wire and hops down. Steve closes the tile behind him. Bucky looks around the small crowded classroom. This room was clearly made to hold three fourths this many kids.

                “How many are in this class?” Steve looks around counting desks. Bucky already did.

                “Thirty four.” Bucky says bitterly.

                “Jesus we must have had half that many in our class! And we had big class sizes.”

                “No kidding. The teacher’s young too. I’ve read up on her. She was her high school homecoming queen. Seems like that’s when she hit her high. If you ask me, the only reason she got into education is because she couldn’t hack it as a model. Her class test scores for the past five years were average, her class is all grade level kids, and she drives a Land Rover that’s never seen dirt.”

                “How does a teacher at a public school afford a fancy car like that?” Steve asks with his arms crossed.

                “She married a nice looking, rich guy. Teaching is her hobby.” Bucky rolls his eyes in disgust.

                “And there was no other option?”

                “Not really.” Bucky grumbles. “I liked some of the other teachers better but the kids in the class looked scary. I chose to go with Plain Jane kids and dull teacher instead of exciting teacher and nasty kids.”

                “Don’t you think you’re making a harsh judgment call? On paper you don’t look so charming yourself.”

                “I don’t know what you’re talking about, I don’t leave a paper trail.” Bucky smirks. He knows Steve has a point. He is being harsh. He just knows a lot is riding on this. He really doesn’t want this to turn into a bad experience for Sasha and Jamie. Primary school has a big effect on kids and Bucky has way less control over this environment than he did before. Anyone could be in class with his babies. Including future bad people.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Eh, early post. I'll be busy today. So little background about The Trollop. The Trollop's mother (the most patient being ever to live) is an elementary school teacher. She's been teaching for 35 years. Go mom. Because of this The Trollop actually has a perspective this time! There is a lot that goes on behind the scenes of public elementary schools that makes me want to punch someone in the mouth. There's also a lot of good, but also a lot of ego and favoritism that shapes the fate of people's lives. Strong words will be yelled from my pulpit let me tell you! All in the dignified form of... fan fiction. I'm cool. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	5. Chapter 5

                “Soapy.” Steve tells the baby. Steve’s washing his son in the kitchen sink after getting home late from bugging the school and then taking advantage of the kids having a baby sitter by getting a few ‘training hours’ in at SHIELD.

                “Popey.” Billy burbles back at him with a good splash that gets bath water on his father’s shirt. It doesn’t faze him.

                “Good job.” He praises. Billy points at his rubber pirate duck.

                “Ducky!”

                “Huh? You want the ducky?” Steve says in his baby voice.

                “Stevie don’t use the voice it’s annoying.” Bucky grumbles with his arms folded around his head on the counter.

                For the last hour they’ve been cleaning up after a craft accident gone horribly wrong. To say the least, Deadpool is not allowed to supervise Sasha when she wants to make something. Her baby brother ate enough paint, glue, and glitter to poop an ornament. Bucky cleaned the floor while Steve cleaned the baby.

                “It’s just a voice.” Steve says under his breath before giving Billy the duck. Billy takes it and immediately bites it. He spits when he gets some of the nasty soap taste. Why this bothers him but the paint and glue didn’t astounds Steve.

                “Bleck!” Billy exclaims as he tries to make the taste go away. He whimpers and looks beseechingly at his daddy.

                “And that’s why you don’t put stuff in your mouth. Tastes bad.”

                “Ucky mouf.” The baby agrees.

                “I don’t know how we made this creature, he’s the best thing ever.” Steve tells Bucky as he starts to rinse off the baby with warm water. Bucky raises his arm up so he can smile tiredly at Billy and Steve. Billy spots his mother’s face interestedly. Bucky bites his lip and rolls his eyes. He drags himself up off the counter and walks around it to Steve’s side. He stands snugly hip to hip with his mate. Bucky leans his head on Steve’s shoulder and hooks The Weapon’s thumb in Steve’s opposite belt loop. With his human hand he plays with Billy’s hands. Billy jerks his mother’s hand around with both of his while Bucky tries to poke his belly.

                “Wow he’s strong.” Bucky raises an eyebrow. “Steve look at this.” The two year old slaps his hand around playfully but firmly. Bucky has a feeling if he was just a regular person Billy could probably dislocate his wrist. Steve puts the warm washcloth on top of Billy’s head with a satisfying squish.

                “He’s strong alright.” Steve notes, not overly concerned about it. The baby is still trying to get the taste out of his mouth. “Would you get him some chocolate milk or something?”

                “M’kay.” Bucky lets go of Steve and goes to get something sweet for Billy. Sasha scoots out from beside the fridge shyly. She’s up past her bedtime on the night before her first day at her new school. “Sasha…” Bucky sighs. Sasha looks down at the ground with the guilty look that is all her mother.

                “I couldn’t sleep. I tried but I don’t-!” She bites her lip and sniffles. Her eyes start watering and her chin quivers. “I don’t want to go to school tomorrow!” She cries. She holds out her arms for her mother. Sasha is good at a lot of things but acting isn’t one of them. If she’s crying for her mother it’s because she’s actually upset. Sasha hates to do it but if she gets sad, frustrated, or scared enough she will.

                “Sweet Pea…” Bucky hugs her. The omega looks over at Steve, silently asking him to get the thing for Billy. Steve nods to Bucky and grabs a little bag of gram cracker bears from a nearby cupboard.

.oOo.

                Steve put Billy to sleep before joining Sasha and Bucky in Sasha’s bedroom. Bucky curled up with her in bed, so Steve sat in a chair by their side.

                “Are you ready to tell us what’s wrong with school?” Steve asks. Steve is usually the one who investigates the problem while Bucky prefers to sooth with his presence.

                “I just don’t want to.” She pouts. Bucky reaches for the box of tissues he brought and pulls one out for Sasha to wipe her nose.

                “You’re going to have to go eventually. You have to go to school Sasha.” Steve tells her.

                “I know.” She murmurs. “I just don’t want to go tomorrow.”

                “It doesn’t matter if it’s tomorrow or the next day, you have to have a first day sometime.”

                “But why does my first day have to not be Jamie’s first day too?” She whines.

                Steve and Bucky look at each other, now understanding.

                “You don’t want to go alone?” Steve asks with a warm smile.

                “Well…I mean Jamie’s okay and all.” She tries to make it sound like she doesn’t want Jamie there as much as she does. She likes to think she’s more independent from him than she actually is. “I need someone on my six.” Bucky kisses the back of her head.

                “Okay.” He says softly. Steve closes his eyes and gives just the slightest of nods. “You can go the day after tomorrow so Jamie can go with you.” Bucky assures.

                “Really?” Sasha lights up.

                “Yes Steve affirms.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short but so tooth rotting that it needed to be so. Oh my god. I swear this story has multiple things going on besides this. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	6. Chapter 6

                Bucky doesn’t make associations with D Day lightly. This feels like D Day II to him. The preparation for the big drop off has been intense. The day before The Day is spent largely getting ready. Sasha and Jamie have to get their cover stories just right and go over disaster scenarios. Bucky does all of the prep work with them while Steve watches and occasionally tells him he’s going too far.

                Bucky had a uniform prepared for him with medals and rank markings that would be the equivalent of his own. Bucky’s never actually seen what all of his medals look like pinned to one uniform. The effect is as stunning as he’d hoped it would be. The whole purpose for the uniform is to shock and awe any staff away from commenting on the facial mask he’ll be wearing tomorrow to conceal his identity. The paperwork and badge he’ll be showing (forged) will prevent him from legally being required to remove the mask but the uniform should keep people from so much as asking. If anyone is rude enough to ask, he’ll explain he has a horrible facial injury which he got in service of his country.

                “Wow.” Steve blinks at the perfectly pressed uniform. “You’re really going all out with this one. I take it I can’t come with you?”

                “Not unless you want to also claim to have some kind of facial deformity.” Bucky tells him as he scrutinizes his paperwork. It’s unlikely anyone is going to check his documents but he wants to be sure. Steve looks more in depth at the medals.

                “So why isn’t it here?” Steve asks. Bucky keeps looking at his fake water mark under a magnifying glass.

                “Where’s what?” Bucky scratches his nose.

                “Your Medal of Honor. If you’re going to wear these you should wear that one too.”

                “You’re joking.” Bucky looks at him and raises an eyebrow. “I’m not wearing my Medal of Honor with a costume, Steve. It wouldn’t be right.” Bucky shakes his head.

                “This isn’t really a costume.” Steve gestures towards the uniform. “None of the honors those medals represent are lies. Everything about this is synonymous with you.”

                Bucky rolls his eyes. “I’d have to take it out of the frame.”

                “Why not the kids are always asking to see them?” Steve shrugs questioningly. Bucky sighs.

                “Fine go bust them out.” Bucky gets up. “I’ll make lunch.”

                Steve goes back to their bedroom and finds the framed pair of medals. They have a wall covered with pictures of friends and past achievements. It’s Steve’s visual representation of why Bucky is not the person Hydra tried to make him. It helps on the days when he questions if he can be forgiven. Steve was awarded the Medal of Honor after he crashed the plane in 1945. Bucky was awarded his upon returning to service after being the longest running P.O.W in military history. The committee had been waiting for an excuse for decades. That was seven years ago. Steve had to force him to the ceremony to get him to accept it. The twins were less than a year old so all Steve had to do was pack them up and take them to DC to get Bucky to follow.

                Bucky walks into the kitchen and notices he has a new message on his phone.

                **Peter: Wade just gave me glitter covered packing peanuts in a jar. I’m not sure if they’re actually packing peanuts or something else. Thoughts?**

Bucky bites his lip.

                **Bucky: I wouldn’t chance it. How are you?**

Bucky hasn’t seen Peter in a few weeks. All of a sudden he stopped calling or dropping by. Bucky knows he’s been struggling with a down spell for a while now but Wade seems to have it covered. Bruce has also taken an interest since they work together. The scientist and doctor knows more than Bucky does. It pisses the omega off immensely.

                Peter doesn’t respond right away. Bucky’s halfway done with the sandwiches when his phone beeps.

                **Peter: Yeah about that… I have this new friend. He’s kind of a handful. Sorry I haven’t called. Honestly he’s keeping me so busy I haven’t had time to. He practically lives with me.**

Bucky frowns. That doesn’t sound good. At all.

**Bucky: What does Wade think about this?**

**Peter: I don’t see Wade that often. He’s never met my friend.**

That sounds even worse. Bucky scratches his temple.

                **Bucky: Maybe bring your friend by sometime? I’d like to see you.**

Peter doesn’t respond.

                Bucky thinks about it for the rest of the day until he starts to get concerned by things in his own life again.

.oOo.

The Next Day

                Sasha and Jamie get out of the car feeling significantly more nervous than they were on their first day of kindergarten. The fact that their mother is dressed as he is helps. It’s hard to be scared when their mommy would tear down nations to keep them safe. The wardrobe lets anyone looking know that he can and has.

                Bucky walks with his children on either side of him holding his hands. This isn’t the first day for anyone else so there isn’t any commotion. Just the regular daily grind of school. Bucky walks his children to the front office and nods to the secretaries working there.

                “Hi.” He greets. “I’m bringing my kids to their first day of class with a Mrs. Holland. Can you tell me what I’m supposed to do?” He asks formally, taking his hat and tucking it under his arm.

                The office staff stares shamelessly at the three of them. Sasha frowns. “ _Please?”_ She says while turning her head slightly and giving them the stink eye. That gets at least one of their attention. There are three women working there. One of them, a brunette beta, seems to think she’s in charge.

                “Can you sign in please?” She gestures to the clipboard and pens with flowers on them. Bucky has never understood the appeal of flower pens. He takes one and signs himself in anyway.

                “I was just wondering…” A larger female beta asks. She gestures to the medal around Bucky’s neck. “Is that the-?”

                “Yes.” Sasha and Jamie announce proudly.

                “Oh.” She says incredulously.

The one who thinks she’s in charge hands Bucky some papers in a folder. “These are about our schedule and calendar. I’ll show you to their class.” The brunette explains. “I’m Mrs. Plemmal by the way. I’m the head secretary.”

                “James Grant.” Bucky extends his hand. The brunette takes it and shakes his hand. “It’s nice to meet you.” He does not feel that way. She already seems unpleasant and she’s barely said anything.

                “My father was in the Navy.” She says as if this is of enormous importance in that moment. Bucky has a feeling this woman is going to bother him.

                “That’s nice.” Bucky spits out mechanically.

.oOo.

                The classroom seems even smaller with people in it. The whole scene looks like troops at a mess hall without a CO around to tell them what for. The woman at the front of the class looks exactly like the picture Bucky got. She’s very tall, slim, and athletic looking. Surprisingly she’s an omega. Bucky would have guessed alpha or beta by the look of her. He of all people should know how deceiving looks can be. Mrs. Plemmal waves at the young teacher. She smiles in response, holds up one finger, and rings a little porcelain bell. Everything goes dead silent.

                “Mrs. Holland, you have two new students.” Mrs. Plemmal tells the teacher with a forced smile. “Good luck.” The head secretary turns and leaves without further comment to Bucky or the twins.

                The young teacher squeezes her way through the classroom to get to Bucky.

                “Hello!” She pushes some hair behind her ear. “Sorry we don’t have much time for introductions, if you’d like we can talk after school I always stay about an hour afterward.” She says to Bucky.

                “That’s alright we can talk then I guess.” Bucky tells her. He bends down and hugs his kids.

                “Be safe, be good, if in doubt what would your dad do? Unless it’s about a fight in which case, what would I do? If you can’t decide, call me.”

                “Okay.” Jamie and Sasha hold more firmly to Bucky than he’d expected. It’s not unwelcome.

                Bucky leaves feeling like the whole thing was rushed and impersonal. Nobody stopped to examine his credentials. Would these people honestly just let anyone in a mask walk around in the school? The possibilities are frightening. 

.oOo.

                Two hours later Bucky gets a call from the school counselor and the principal saying he needs to come see them immediately.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god my sims are the best. My Bucky sim is perfect but my favorites are the Lebeau family. They're a hoot. That's what I did yesterday instead of writing. Actually I wasn't sure about this chapter so I just didn't post in. New stuff's happening. Bucky has a really crazy life. It's about to get crazier.


	7. Chapter 7

_Several Weeks Earlier_

_“Charles and Magneto are missing.”_

_“Missing?” Bucky repeats._

_“We’ve tried everything to find them short of hooking Jean up to Cerebro.” Storm tells them._

_“For how long?” Steve asks._

_“Five hours now.” Storm answers. “We don’t have tabs on Magneto normally but Charles updates us on his whereabouts constantly. He has to incase we need him to take care of the school.”_

_“Not to mention.” Logan says as he shifts the cigar in his mouth. “Chuck’s eighty three years old and not doin’ so well health wise. If he went missing for ten minutes we’d get worried.”_

_The group of Avengers looks amongst themselves. Tony lands down next to them._

_“Wait, how bad is it?” He asks. Apparently the suit was listening in on the conversation. Storm stands with her back straight and her face schooled into neutrality while Logan shifts uncomfortably._

_“Charles’ health has declined rapidly in the last six months. He hasn’t told us the cause but he has been on bed rest for nine weeks now with an IV giving him daily medicine.”_

_“So he’s dying.” Bucky says simply. He never got to know Charles all that well but he knows the man by reputation and knows what his death will do to the world. He’s had an enormous impact for a lot of people, mutants and humans alike._

_“We’re preparing for that eventuality.”_

.oOo.

                Bucky gets out of the elevator and is about to go take a short nap when it becomes plain that that won’t be happening. Peter, Tony, Clint, and some young omega Bucky doesn’t recognize are sitting at the counter in the communal kitchen.

                “Peter.” Bucky is a little stunned. He hasn’t seen his friend since just after his last heat. Actually the last time he saw him Peter he was helping clean up rubble from some kind of disaster involving Professor Xavier and Magneto. Warped buildings and unconscious people, that kind of shit. Then Peter had disappeared and Bucky and The Avengers had gone looking for the Professor and Magneto. There hasn’t been any sign of the two aged mutants since the incident.

                “Hey Bucky!” Peter gets up in a surprisingly good mood. The younger omega hugs his friend and mentor. Bucky has known Peter ever since he found out he was pregnant with the twins. Bucky probably only made it through that first trimester because of Peter and his practical advice. Very quietly, Peter whispers to Bucky. “Help. Act natural.”

Bucky doesn’t miss a beat. He pulls away from Peter to examine for damage. Actaully Peter looks healthier than he’s been in years. “You look good.” Bucky tells him.

                “Thanks. You look…” Peter looks at the uniform. “Decorative.”

                “Is that supposed to be funny?” Bucky jokes.

                Tony clears his throat before the two friends forget that there are other people around.

                “Hey Bucky, have you met the new friend?” Bucky looks over at the young omega watching him as he stirs…tea.

                “No I haven’t.” Bucky answers, eyeing the idle way the guest handles the spoon. The younger man springs up and smiles. His teeth look very white compared to his dark lips. This guy must have to fight off alphas with a stick. He’s an idyllic example of a male omega.

                “Well then allow me to introduce myself.” The man approaches Bucky confidently. “My name’s Charles Eisenhardt. Pleasure to meet you.” So he’s posh English too.

                “James Barnes.” Bucky extends his hand which the younger man shakes with both of his.

                “I’ve heard so much about you and your family from Peter. He’s of the opinion you and your mate are the best couple ever.” Charles tells him.

                “Oh.” Bucky flashes glances from Peter to this new omega. “Yeah I hear you’ve been spending a lot of time together.” Is this strangely inviting omega somehow holding Peter captive? Why does Bucky just want to curl up and snuggle with this creature? It’s unsettling.

                “Peter’s been a dear friend these past weeks. I’ve had some sudden difficulty in life and now I’ve got nothing.”

                “I brought him here because I was hoping Tony could help him out.” Peter explains.

                Tony rubs his grey beard. About five years ago his beard and fifty percent of his hair went grey. He’s fifty eight years old, he still acts like a college kid. “I don’t really have space to put you up in your own apartment right now but I could probably get you a job somewhere. Do you have any skills?” He asks Charles. The young omega thinks hard about it.

                “I have some education and I make a mean cup of coffee.”

                “What kind of education?” Bucky asks. “And how old are you?” Important information for the research he’s going to do on this guy later.

                “I’m twenty one.” Charles puffs up. He looks like he couldn’t be older than nineteen. “And I have part of a degree from Oxford if you must know. I ran out of funds and could no longer attend. What does that have to do with anything?”

                Bucky knows something’s up. He just can’t put his finger on what it is. “I was just curious.” Bucky tells him.

                “Nothing wrong with that.” Charles smiles. “Won’t you join us we were about to have lunch?” As if Bucky’s frail excuse for being rude was enough, this Charles has returned to being jovial.

                “Sure.”

.oOo.

                “So I called Pepper and got you a job as a barista at the coffee shop in the lobby.” Tony tells the group who is now munching on sandwiches. 

                “Mhhm!” Charles exclaims “Thank you so much that’s exactly what I was hoping for.” Bucky has never heard someone so grateful for a job as a barista. “This is really great. Now I won’t have to rely on my alpha for every little thing.”

                “You’ve got an alpha?” Bucky asks. He’s not as young as he or Peter was but he’s still very young for the times. Bucky’s not sure if he believes he’s twenty one anyway. Charles chuckles.

                “I have. He’s the most loathsome creature I’ve ever met.” The omega smiles thoughtfully. “Practically insufferable that one. If it was up to him I’d sit around being pampered all day.” He rolls his eyes. “Well that or he swears up and down he wishes he’d never met me. Really a darling that one.”

                “Sounds…” Clint nods. “Awful?” He tries.

                “Oh not at all! I’m hopelessly in love with the man.” Charles beams.

                “No bond bite?” Bucky notes. Charles puts a hand to the place where one would be.

                “I’m one of those infuriating new age omegas that doesn’t believe in them.” He admits. Bucky tenses up. What kind of horrible person doesn’t want to be bonded to the person they love? They aren’t really even mates without one. Bucky must look disgusted. Everyone’s looking at him. Charles starts laughing.

                “That’s exactly the face my mother made when I told her.”

                “I’m sorry it’s just… how do you even do that? My mate was about the least alpha of any alpha ever and even he had trouble resisting until we agreed it was time.”

                “What can I say? My alpha has an inhuman sense of control.”

                That’s when Bucky’s phone rings.

.oOo.

                Bucky walks into the principal’s office to find his children, the school counselor, and the principal looking very unhappy. Sasha and Jamie look particularly indignant.

                “What did you do?” He asks. He doesn’t sit down. He crosses his arms and looms over his children. The two third graders practically tremble.

                “We didn’t do anything wrong…” Sasha says quietly.

                “Now that’s simply not true.” The counselor says. He’s a middle aged beta who apparently can’t coordinate his clothes. “Sasha and Jamie completely ruined class today and possible the whole social studies unit.”

                “What was the unit?” Bucky asks, still looking at his children critically.

                “They were talking about Thanksgiving and Native American tribes.” The counselor explains. “They made some highly inappropriate contributions.”

                “They-that-no!” Sasha stammers in frustration. “It was all wrong! The awful settlers hurt the Native American tribes and drove them off their land. The European settlers and the American government are responsible for the largest genocide in human history-!”

                “Twenty million people killed through decades of racism and casual destruction!” Jamie adds.

                “Yeah! Casual! And they want us to do a play and dress up as ‘Indians’. They want us to wear ceremonial clothes and chant stuff that doesn’t even sound real! It’s not right.”

                “You two are missing the point! It’s supposed to be about peace between enemies, breaking bread. It’s a good story for _children_ to learn from.” The counselor insists.

                “Learn what? Treachery?” Jamie snorts.

                “Okay that’s enough!” Bucky declares. The counselor crosses his arms looking validated. Bucky points at Sasha and Jamie. “You can’t just go preaching social justice in class to third graders. They don’t understand, you’re just scaring them. Why you, also third graders, do understand concerns me and I’d like to know who told you all that.”

                “Wade.” The twins admit together. Bucky shakes his head. No surprises there. He turns to the principal and the counselor.

                “Now as for you two.” His glare is set to the intensity that kills. “You do realize that you are misusing history and promoting racism?”

                “That was not our intention.” The principal insists. “Really I don’t think any of us have a right to call it that. We’ve never had a Native American family complain.”

                “That’s because the United States segregated or killed all the Native American families. Thanksgiving is a lie!” Sasha yells as if going to battle.

                “We’re suspending the twins from school tomorrow.” The principal insists. “Further discussion isn’t going to change that.”

                “Great. I’ll have my mate write the superintendent. I think he might feel differently on the need for further discussion.” Bucky gestures to the kids. “Come on trouble makers.”  

.oOo.

                Bucky makes the twins write an apology letter to their teacher. A lot of grumbling is involved. Bucky’s presides over the writing while holding Billy and making lunch for the twins. His phone buzzes as his chopping carrots.

**Peter: Bucky I can’t take it anymore! He’s like a self-help book that follows you around and forces you to do the things he ‘suggests’! He’s an insane task master and his mate might want to kill me! Like really!**

**Bucky: Who is that guy anyway? How did you meet him?**

**Peter: He must have been using his powers so that none of you made the connection. Wow that guy is evil. That’s Charles Xavier!**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this post was such a long time coming. I've had finals and an improv show to work on these past couple of days. 
> 
> Oh look a wild Charles appears! I'm sure this expert in the raising and schooling of children from extraordinary backgrounds will not come in handy at all during this difficult time in Bucky's life. More on how all this happened is still to come.


	8. Chapter 8

**Bucky: Get back here right now!**

Sometimes Bucky feels like he’s everyone’s mother.

                **Peter: I don’t think I can shake him. He’s avoiding his cranky asshole mate.**

**Bucky: Then bring him with you!**

Bucky types furiously. He looks at his children realizing they should probably be punished further in some way for their insubordination. He also needs to make sure he’s not interrupted while he chews out a mutant rights icon and Spiderman. Who knows how this conversation is going to go. He starts up a new text with Natasha.

                **Bucky: I need a favor.**

**Nat: Yes?**

**Bucky: Remember that thing I used to do to you when you questioned my authority?**

**Nat: Why would you bring that up?**

**Bucky: No not that thing, the other thing. Fuck Natasha.**

**Nat: Oh that. That was less unpleasant. What about it?**

**Bucky: I need you to do that to my children but with only 1% of the unpleasantness.**

**Nat: What do you want me to use a plant mister?**

**Bucky: I was thinking a super soaker.**

**Nat: That still seems cruel.**

**Bucky: Well obviously don’t strip them down or take them some place freezing cold. Maybe give them smaller less efficient water guns too.**

**Nat: … So you want me to have an unfair water gun fight with your children?**

**Bucky: Invite Clint. And remember, brutalize them.**

**Nat: With a super soaker.**

**Bucky: Yes. In the face, a lot.**

**Nat: But if I actually hurt them you’ll kill me?**

**Bucky: Yup.**

Bucky looks at his unsuspecting children. “You two are in trouble now. Natasha is going to watch you while I have a word with Peter.” The twins cower together. “If you’re lucky you’ll survive.”

                “aaaah.” Jamie screams very quietly.

                “That’s what I thought.”

.oOo.

                Peter fast walks into the suite like he’s trying to casually outrun the plague without it noticing. The young omega, who is apparently Charles Xavier, follows behind him at a leisurely pace with his hands in his pockets.

                “Peter. Charles.” Bucky says with an eyebrow cocked and his arms crossed.

                “Hello.” Charles greets. Peter sits down on the couch while Charles remains standing like Bucky. “I have to say first off that I wasn’t planning on letting myself be known to anyone besides those who were already mixed up in this.” Charles explains.

                “Consider me mixed then. I spent two weeks looking for you personally. There’s still a task force assigned to it. It’s a big deal. We thought you were in serious trouble. Instead you’re better than ever and hanging around with Peter.”

                Charles sighs and hangs his head. “Please would you sit down so that I can try and explain myself without this hostility?”

                “I won’t be any less hostile sitting.” Bucky stands his ground, literally. 

                “Fine then. Have it your way. Here is my side of the story. I was called on by an old friend and pupil to advise him. When my friend and I arrived he altered our reality by taking bodies from another reality and swapping them for ours. This ‘us’ I’m speaking of is myself and Erik Lehnsher. I’m sure you’ve heard of Magneto.”

                “Why didn’t you just tell your people what happened? It would have been a lot less hassle for everyone. I’m sure your people are worried sick over you.”

                Charles pinches the bridge of his nose. “Try to think of the ethical complications of this. What Franklin did is terrifying. Can you imagine the backlash from something like that? Why am I of all people the person to award the fountain of youth? My partner in this is a terrorist for heaven’s sake. The attention this will call on myself and Erik might ruin us and our cause. What will the world do to Franklin and the Richards' once they find out that Franklin can defy death itself? Yes he did it once with his sister but the world doesn’t know about that. The only way to keep this manageable is to pretend it never happened.”

                Bucky sits down. “So that’s your plan. Pretend like nothing happened? You’re going to work as a barista in Stark Tower. You’ve got more doctorates than Tony and the second strongest psychic mutation on earth. Don’t you think there’s a better use for that?”

                “There was, my school. That’s my legacy not this nonsense with body swapping.”

                “What about Peter what’s his part in this?” Bucky asks, eyeing the silent omega.

                “Ah yes, Peter.” Charles turns so he looks at the young man. “Peter happened to walk in on my meeting with the Richards'. He’s been helping me find a footing. I’m not so good at living on a budget you see.”

                Peter finally speaks, “And in between he's taking time out of his life to make me do stuff I don't like to try and solve my problems."

                “Do you want to get better or not?” Charles repeats for the who-knows-how-many-ith time. Charles looks at Bucky. “Peter is on a new medication and now sees me regularly for informal counselling. I’m certain that it’s in his best interest that he has a professional observe him while he makes this change.”

                “You went through with the damn medication?” Bucky frowns. 

               "Bucky..." Peter worries his lip. He looks very uncomfortable. "I know how you feel about it. Please don't judge me, this is helping."

               Charles steps in to alleviate Peter's stress. “James I am a psychic, a trained psychologist, and a counselor. I’ve dealt with dozens of children, teens, and adults dealing with depression in my lifetime. When I met Peter I quickly became certain that his case is in the top ten most miserable I’ve ever encountered. That being said I now know that he can be healthy again.” Peter sighs and scratches his forehead. Charles puts a hand on his shoulder. “He's accepted my help voluntarily. Don't worry, we're working this out." 

.oOo.

                Charles promises Peter a coffee and danish from the lobby and they say their farewells. Charles makes Bucky promise to tell no one about this. Nothing got solved but at least some questions got answered. Bucky’s head is swimming and the worst part is he can’t tell Steve about Charles and Peter.

                Steve crawls into bed at three in the morning. Yesterday something important on the west coast got blown up and Steve got called in to deal with the attackers. He missed all the drama. Bucky wraps an arm over his shoulder and lets him be the little spoon. Steve somehow manages to curl up in such a way that it works.

                “Mmmmmh.” Steve sighs contentedly.

                “Your kids got suspended.” Bucky tells him tiredly.

                “Did you get them down okay?”

                “Stevie…” Bucky tries to shake his mate’s shoulder a little. He’s clearly too exhausted for this conversation. “They got suspended from school tomorrow. They called the social studies unit racist.”

                “What?” Steve startles awake. “They did what?!”

                “In their defense they were right.”

                “Buck!” Steve sits up. “Really? They were that disrespectful to their teacher on their first day? Racist or not that’s not an acceptable way to treat a lady and an authority figure.”

                “Yeah I know. I had them write her an apology letter. I suggest you have words with them too.” The twins were wet and splotchy after their water fight with Natasha and Clint but otherwise unharmed.

                Steve flops back down flat on his back, arms crossed, frowning at the dark ceiling. Steve’s not going to go to sleep for a while now that Bucky woke up his brain. He should have known better. Now he’s got to fix it. Bucky chooses the low road on account of the late hour. He works his way into Steve’s space so that he presses his face into his mate’s scent glands. Steve closes his eyes and hums. Bucky kisses and nuzzles until Steve’s scent is like a blanket over them.

                “That is…” Steve sucks in air as his omega pushes his groin against Steve’s thigh by throwing his bent left leg into his mate’s lap. The way Bucky has them fitted together makes it impossible for the other to not feel how hard their partner is.

                “You were saying?” Bucky purrs in Steve’s ear. He pushes himself off the bed so he can properly straddle his alpha.

                “Barnes you play dirty.” Steve strokes the crests of his mate’s hips.

                “I play to win.” Bucky smirks flirtatiously. “Are you too tired to go a few rounds in the ring?” He’s not making a euphemism, he really is asking if Steve wants to box.

                “I don’t know Buck… can’t I just suck you off so we can go back to cuddling?” Steve groans.

                “You sure you don’t want me to?” Bucky grinds himself down against Steve’s erection. Steve grips onto him tighter to try and stop that.

                “I don’t know if I can honestly. I caught a building today. I’m still sore.” Steve explains.

                “You caught a building today and you still get this hard for me when all I do is tease you? Stevie you’re too _sweet_.” Bucky gives his mate a knowing,mischievous look. Steve has said time and time again that Bucky’s come is salty but his slick is sweet. The omega hopes his mate won’t miss the suggestion. His mate’s pupils get huge. Steve licks his lips.

                 “I propose you blow me while I eat you out.”

                “Mind reader.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a very complicated story. I hope you realize that this is Bucky's version of being a mom with a million things on his plate. In his case that plate includes his kids school, his mate, displaced psychics, depressed friends, and more to come. If The Winter Soldier Becomes a Parent was about Bucky learning how to deal with life, this story is about all of that slowly not being enough. So if you're like "ah so many plot elements what is this?!" Imagine how Bucky feels. 
> 
> Tomorrow's chapter update will be on another story in this series that will basically be tying it up. There is a small disconnect between this story and it and it needs to be resolved. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	9. Chapter 9

                Steve is such a liar. _I’m too tired._ Right yeah, uh huh. He was ‘too tired’ and now Bucky’s ass feels like someone just tried to shove a building _inside_ of it. Hopefully his bratty children won’t notice he’s walking funny again. He wanted to take a year long mission to Antarctica when that happened. The kids have a very vague idea of what sex is. That knowledge consists of 1. Mates do it 2. That’s where babies come from 3. Bucky and Steve do a lot of it. (That one is entirely God damned Tony’s fault.) They are smart and have connected that sex has something to do with the pelvic region which is why when anything funny happens to Bucky’s ass the twins assume sex is involved. They are almost always right and it’s mortifying.

                It’s Steve’s turn to be available for the kids in the early morning. It’s 05:00 hours and time for Bucky to go hit the gym. He snags Billy out of his crib, changes his diaper, and tucks him into a sling around his chest. He grabs his gym bag/Billy’s bag of baby stuff and gets a move on. Billy goes back to sleep almost at once.

                Down in the gym Clint is lifting weights.

                “Hey mommy.” Clint greets with a sly grin. Bucky sets down his bag and puts Billy in the cradle they keep in this room for him.

                “Uncky.” Bucky nods back at him.

                “You say that like that does not make me the proudest beta alive.”

                “Likewise.” Bucky shoots back.

                “So what’d Steve do to you last night? You look like you tried fuck a flag pole.”

                Bucky slowly gives him a look. “Barton…” He rolls his head to the other side. “I don’t _try_ anything, I succeed. And I only fuck flag poles on heat week.” Bucky turns on the treadmill and starts running.

                “Sass master Barnes’ on full tilt this morning.” Barton changes the weight on the machine he’s using.

                “I’ve got some dirt to push around.”

                “Okay then Winter Mama, shoot.”

                “Guess who went birthday shopping with Natasha?”

                “She went birthday shopping for herself? That’s new. Am I expected to give her money and say something is from me?”

                “No, you’re supposed to stick it in your ass.”

                The two friends stay silent for at least thirty seconds. The only noise in the room is the sound of Bucky’s feet hitting the treadmill.

                “She bought me that princess plug set didn’t she?” Barton is expressionless.

                “You’re partially right.” Bucky confirms.

                “She bought me the princess plug set and _something else_?” Clint stresses.

                “Yup. Not telling you.”

                “God dammit Barnes.”

.oOo.

                The workout ends when Billy wakes up and wants food. Bucky takes him upstairs to tend to that. The little bugger has no problem with a bottle this morning. Bucky feeds him some baby food too.

                Sasha and Jamie look twitchy when they get up. Natasha is not above sneaking into their rooms at night and blasting them with cold water. Or at least that’s what they think.

                Steve is cooking breakfast. “Sit down.” He says without turning away from the stove. His children obey wordlessly. “Mommy told me what you did. Any comment you’d like to make?” There is a correct answer to this.

                “We won’t do it again.” Sasha answers, eye wide and fearful.

                “Next time if we see something wrong we will tell you before we react.” Jamie elaborates.

                “No arguing with the teacher?” Steve checks.

                "No arguing."

                “Why?” Steve asks with a different tone. He’s not just scolding them now. He’s testing to see if they’ve actually learned their lesson. He doubts the water guns or the tongue lashing Bucky must have given them did the trick.

                “Because it’s disrespectful.” Jamie answers. At this point he’s probably been programed to answer that way. Steve doesn’t count it as a genuine response.

                “It’s more than just that guys.” Steve dumps the scrambled eggs onto a plate a turns around to divide it into four shares. He’s facing the twins now so they can see how serious he is. “Think about how that makes her feel. You two were right. What they were saying wasn’t fair to the Native Americans but you arguing with the teacher won’t solve it. Most people, if you tell them they’re wrong, are going to defend their way of thinking until they can’t see it any other way. Changing people’s minds and actions takes a more careful approach. I know it felt like the right thing to just start arguing but it’s not going to help your cause to blow up.”

                “So how do we change it?” Sasha asks.

                “I’m going to put on a disguise and go talk to your teacher and see if I can clear some things up. What you’re saying doesn’t sound like something people would just do blindly. If they did it willfully, then I’ll talk to somebody else about it. Most likely though, this was a misunderstanding. You two have to remember you know more than most kids do about the world. Other people might seem wrong but they only act that way because they don’t know any better. But that’s another talk. Here eat your breakfast. Do you want some toast with cinnamon?”

                “Yes please.” Bucky says giving Steve an appreciative smile. Steve goes about making the toast. Sasha eats her eggs slowly. Jamie mulls all that over quietly as he drinks some juice.

                “ _Captain Rogers, Sergeant Barnes there is an emergency that requires your attention please report to the roof for pick up immediately_.” JARVIS informs them. Bucky and Steve are moving right away. They only ever get called in together if it’s something really bad. The kids know what to do. Stay put and wait for instructions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh look I lied! 
> 
> -The Trollop


	10. Chapter 10

                “ _I’m going with Zombies_.” Tony says through the com. Iron Man is on the perimeter blowing up the streets to make them impassable to the flood of infected people trying to attack the populous.

                “ _Nah, they were never dead. They have to be dead first to be Zombies.”_ Clint retorts. He’s in the back of the Quinn Jet taking shots to save non infected people from being killed. Natasha’s flying low and fast so that they can cover the four mile area of infection as much as possible. The sensors on the Quinn Jet can detect the difference between the infected and the non-infected. She’s making a map of where the survivors are holed up so that the SHIELD rescue teams can get to them as fast as possible.

                “ _Where’s Bruce when you need him_? _He’d be on my side.”_ Tony argues.

                “ _Safe at home where he’s not going to get infected and turn double rage monster? You know, where he should be.”_ Clint says, letting arrows fly with every casually uttered word.

                On the ground Bucky and Steve are leading the team that’s sweeping the area and destroying the infected. Whatever this is, the SHIELD science labs don’t think it’s reversible. Bucky and Steve can accept that. They’ve seen parents tearing their own children apart. Even if these people could be saved, Bucky doubts they’d want to be. He and Steve have full body armor on. Bucky didn’t even know they had a full helmet made for Steve that has his markings on it. Seems they do. Bucky has the much more modest sleek black model. It’s hot and uncomfortable but Bucky’s checked out right now, it’s The Winter Soldier’s problem. He doesn’t mind.

                The infected die the same way people do. The Winter Soldier is having no trouble doing his job. Bucky sticks two of them in the temples with his knives. They ran out of bullets already. A support team is going to come restock in about two minutes. Until then the SHIELD field agents doing the mop up are staying tight and holding a drop off zone while the big guns do their worst. One of the buildings on the perimeter of the drop off zone is an apartment complex. Steve and Bucky have been working their way through looking for survivors and killing the infected when they find them.

                Steve pulls the door open for Winter and stands back. Five infected burst towards them. Winter cuts the first one’s throat with a knife and kicks it back into the second one. The force is so great that it destabilizes the group. Steve sweeps his shield into the backs of their knees to bring them down. With their super strength it only takes a few well aimed stomps to kill the rest.

                “Think they’ve got the bullets yet? This is taking forever.” Steve comments. He feels terrible to be doing this to these people but even he can’t see an alternative. If they want to save trapped survivors they have to keep pushing fast until they know they’ve searched everywhere. The Winter Soldier is good for a lot of things but conversation isn’t one of them. He’s not switching back over to Bucky right now. He’s got too much emotion caught up in hurting these families. It’s all far too reminiscent of his past for him to be unaffected.

                The Winter Soldier takes the worst of the kills. He just sees them as targets, not people. Steve almost loses it when they find a family of infected where there’s a pregnant mother with children. The Winter Soldier closes the door on Steve’s face and takes care of it so fast Steve has no time to even imagine what he must have just done. Winter grabs him by the arm and hauls him to the next apartment before Steve can overanalyze. Winter can’t send him back to the SHIELD agents, he needs Steve on his six.

                They get through fifty apartments on their own before the SHELD team rejoins them and they get a small rest. The best agents take point while The Captain and The Winter Soldier drink some bottled water. Before they put their helmets on and get back to work, Steve snags Winter by the side of the head and kisses his cheek for a long second. They both needed that even if neither of them makes any comment on it.

.oOo.

                They get home late. The outbreak of what SHIELD is calling ‘Doomsday Virus 23’ happened in Tijuana. It took a while to fly, get cleaned up and cleared through medical, and then argue their way out of reports that would take extra hours to complete. Even Steve won’t do mission reports at 03:00 hours.

                Steve holds Bucky’s hand as they walk in. Peter is asleep on the couch. He’s the one SHIELD called to take care of the twins it seems. Steve and Bucky bypass him so they can go look in on their children. They part so that they can go check on the twins at the same time. They’re both in their beds looking peaceful and whole. Bucky takes a breath and goes and gets the baby. William grunts when Bucky picks him up and carries him into his and Steve’s bedroom. Buck kisses his sleepy child all over his face. Billy smiles and laughs.

                “Mommy! Why kissy kissy?” He asks.

                “Mmm. Because I love you.” Bucky strokes Billy’s head and holds him against his shoulder. Steve comes in and smiles at his mate and son. “Sleep with Mommy and Daddy tonight?” Bucky starts talking in the baby voice. Bucky hates the baby voice. Billy nods happily.

                Bucky grabs his blankets out of his crib and makes a little nest for him on Bucky’s side of the bed. He tucks him in snugly and quickly changes into pajama pants. He doesn’t wear a shirt so that his scent will mingle with Billy’s even more so than it would. Steve’s right behind him when they crawl into bed. Steve holds Bucky close while the omega strokes their sleeping son's head. Billy always has gone to sleep really easily. He seems to just be content by nature. His parents take a long time to go to sleep. It’s just another side effect of work.

.oOo.

The Next Day

                “No arguing!” Bucky tells his kids one more time as they retreat from the SUV. Steve has an appointment to go talk to Ms. Holland after school that day which leaves Bucky off the hook with dealing with the new school for now. The omega’s schedule is pretty empty today. He likes to keep the days after tough missions either free or impossibly busy. He decides to check in on his friend.

                “Call Peter.” He tells the car.

                “ _Calling Peter_.” It confirms. The phone sound starts playing.

                “ _Hey_.” Peter actually answers. That’s different.

                “What’s going on?” Bucky asks as he makes a left.

                “ _I was just talking to Charles actually. We were on our way to go grab coffee. Want to join? I could use a buffer_.”

                A day with Peter. That’s either going to be very relaxing or a nightmare. Bucky decides to chance it. Peter rarely invites him to join him in things anymore. He can’t turn this down now.

                “Yeah sure. Tell me where. I’m bringing Billy, so you know.”

                “ _That’s fine. I have this sneaking suspicion that Charles likes kids_.”


	11. Chapter 11

Five Months Earlier

               

_“Would you come look at this for a second?”  Peter looks up, surprised. Bruce doesn’t usually ask him to come look at what he’s doing. He’s pretty private about his research. Peter gets up and walks over so he can look at it. It’s a molecular diagram. Peter’s not an expert but it looks like a neurotransmitter._

_“Nice. Did you make this?” Peter asks as he tries to figure out more definitively what he’s looking at._

_“Uh no, drug synthesis isn’t really my forte. This was made by a scientist that Tony’s been funding for two years now. It’s a new drug. I thought you might be interested in knowing, it’s a first of it’s kind.” Bruce pauses. Peter isn’t sure why. “It’s an anti-depressant but more than that, it specifically targets the parts of the brain that cause bonding.”_

_Peter is speechless. Not about the drug, because he can’t believe Bruce is subtly suggesting what he thinks he’s suggesting. Anger, embarrassment, resentment, he can’t just pick one to focus on. He’s just horribly uncomfortable. But then Tony walks in._

.oOo.

_“I did what any friend and medical doctor would do given my resources and I’m not forcing him into anything. I’m just making an option available to him. In the eight years I’ve known Peter I have watched him slowly turn from a happy kid struggling with inner demons to a hopelessly depressed adult. Peter is very, very sick and he’s not getting better naturally. Normally the depressed brain will heal itself after three years, which clearly is not the case with Peter. This form of depression/dysthymia has been documented in tens of thousands of cases where an omega has lost their mate and been unable to move on afterward. The prognosis for a case like Peter’s is terrible. Until recently, all forms of antidepressant drugs have had only minor success with patients suffering like Peter so clearly is. This new medication, which has already been through three trials with increasingly large sample sizes, has shown to greatly improve the quality of life for omegas who have lost their mate and been unresponsive to other treatments.” Bruce explained to Wade and Bucky. The two of them were understandable anti-medical intervention._

.oOo.

Now

                Bucky walks into the coffee shop with Billy in his baby carrier. The two year old burbles as he plays with a simple puzzle toy. He can’t solve it but he likes moving the pieces around. Bucky has a dark pair of sunglasses on and his hair pulled back in a ponytail. He and his son look natural. Bucky waves at Peter and Charles where they sit talking. He sets Billy’s carrier down in a seat.

                “Hey, I’m gonna go order. Watch him for a sec, would yah?”

                “Yes go ahead.” Charles responds. Bucky’s already going to go order. He orders a black coffee and then comes back to sit down.

                “How was the mission yesterday?” Charles asks. Peter gives him a look that tells him he shouldn’t of asked that. Bucky huffs.

                “Awful. I had to kill three hundred and fifty six people personally.” Bucky sighs and flips Billy’s toy over so now he has to think about it from another direction. Charles and Peter don’t really know where to go with that. Peter has never directly killed anyone and neither has Charles. “I saved the world though, so there’s that.” Bucky shrugs.

                “Coffee: Black!” The barista calls. Bucky holds his finger up and goes to get his coffee. Charles leans in and whispers to Peter.

                “So don’t ask about his missions?”

                “No, definitely not. If he wants to share, he will.”

                “I can hear you.” Bucky says as he sits.

                “I suspected so. I’m bad at whispering.” Charles admits. “Normally if I want to tell someone something quietly I just tell them through their thoughts. Peter has asked that I not do that so I’m trying to respect his wishes.”

                “Nice.”

                “We’re working on boundaries.” Peter tells Bucky with his arms crossed. Bucky chuckles.

                “Really? Like what?” He asks.

                “Let’s see…” Peter holds up his hand and starts counting off things with his fingers. “No mind reading, showing up past ten at night, or sleepovers.”

                “I’ve violated all of those innumerous times. For his own good of course.” Charles assures Bucky. Bucky frowns. He’s still not over how close these two have gotten. At least Peter isn't happy about the sleepovers. 

                “I’m not done.” Peter adds. “No using helping me to avoid Erik, no getting my friends phone numbers so you can check up on me, and no siding with Wade!” Peter grits his teeth. Charles just chuckles.

                “I’m even guiltier of those.” Charles drinks his coffee.

                “Remind me why you’re doing this again?” Bucky asks Charles.

                “I’m trying to help Peter start living a happier life. Doctor Banner has set the wheels in motion to get him medical help and I’m overseeing his psychological rehabilitation.” Charles beams at Peter. “You hate me, I know.”

                “I still think you’re doing this just so you can avoid Erik.” Peter grumbles.

                “I am a little. But there’s no such thing as a bad reason to help someone so long as you’re not using them. Do you feel like you’re being used?”

                “No I feel like I’m being mothered to death!” Peter’s eye twitches. Bucky grins. For all the fuss Peter is putting up he really does look happier. “You showed up at my house with freakin soup!” Peter waves his hands. Charles gasps.

                “We should have dinner at that bistro I got the soup from. That was really fantastic minestrone. Even Erik likes it and he’s the pickiest eater I’ve ever met.” Charles tells them.

                “He’s a picky eater?” Bucky has a hard time imagining what that even means for a grown man.

                “Oh yes terrible! You can’t get him to eat anything out of a box or bag. Anything that isn’t made from scratch, to his standards, is right out. He despises store brand chicken stock! If the man tastes this one brand of stock chicken broth he will refuse to eat whatever it’s in. He’s impossible.”

                “That’s… great.” Bucky has never had much respect for people who won’t eat food. Any food at all to him is a blessing.

                They chatter on about this and that for a half an hour. Bucky gives his son some snack crackers and orders another coffee for himself.

                “Bruce has had me working on a lot of stuff for him recently. Jane just needs her machines calibrated and some spreadsheets filled in so I usually don’t have much to do. I mean Darcy used to do my job, it’s not like it involves much science. Nuclear psychics and medicine aren’t really my area of study but it’s fun to learn with Bruce. He’s such a chill dude you forget how smart he is sometimes. I get taken to school every day. It’s great.” Peter tells Bucky.

                “Yeah I bet.” Bruce has been bothering Bucky lately. It’s probably because Bucky still doesn’t full agree with what Bruce is approving for Peter. “Has he hooked you up with his friend’s trial thing yet?”

                Peter looks at Bucky, trying to summon his energy for this conversation. Bruce told Peter that Bucky and Wade were less than supportive of the drug trial. That was back before Peter had even made up his mind about it himself. He might have passed up the opportunity if it hadn’t of been for meeting Charles.

                “I’ve actually been taking the medication for almost five months now...Charles had to work a little magic, but he even got himself signed up to be my attending psychiatrist.” Peter smiles awkwardly at his friend. “I take it you still don’t agree?”

                Bucky adjusts how he sits. He looks over at Billy. He’s such a good, happy baby. Bucky unbuckles him from his seat and pulls him into his arms. He plays with Billy as they talk.

                “It’s just hard for me to accept. Bruce said it’s like when Steve had to take medication for his asthma. I know logically it is like that but it still feels wrong to me. Anything that gets in your head is wrong to me. I mean, it’s going to change you. Doesn’t that scare you?”

                “Yeah!” Peter says breathily. "And trust me I feel a whole lot different but I'm not sorry for it.”

                “He won't become a different person truly. It may feel like it for him but in general I find him very much the same. Only now he is happier. ” Charles explains. “This isn’t mind control, nobody is going to be pulling his strings. The medicine is going to give him a heathier brain.”

                “Does this stuff have a name?” Bucky asks. “I keep calling it a ‘drug’ in my head and it makes it sound bad.”

                “There is certainly a stigma to that word. My understanding is that they haven’t named it yet. It has a numerical identifier as I understand.” Charles says.

                “Buck, I was wondering…”Peter asks. “Not that I don’t think all of this is on the up and up. Bruce supports it and he’s the most paranoid person ever. I just wouldn’t mind knowing everything.” Peter raises an eyebrow. “Would you be interested in looking into it? Maybe find out who made it and why?”

                Bucky feels his heart swell. Peter is asking something of him! Something that Bucky is actually good at! Even better this is something that’s going to help Peter. “I’d like to do that for you.”  

                “Bruce has all the information you’ll need to get started.” Peter tells him.

                “Great!” Bucky says excitedly. The toddler in his arms goes slack. Bucky looks down and discovers being held has put him to sleep. Billy has the worst habit of doing that. Bucky puts him back in his carrier and buckles him in.

.oOo.

                Bucky gives Charles and Peter a ride to Peter’s apartment.

                “So Bucky, would you be interested in perhaps going dancing with us tonight?” Charles asks.

                Bucky thinks about it. He hasn’t gone dancing since 1944. He did used to like it though.

                “Is this like a date thing?” He asks.

                “Well…” Charles bats that idea around. “I was thinking it would just be the three of us but it could become a date thing.”

                “You guys can invite Steve and Erik. Wade avoids clubs, dancing, and large groups of civilians in general.” Peter grumps.

                “Then we’ll have to find someone for you to dance with there.” Charles says resolutely. “Erik won’t dance but he’ll lurk about gladly.”

                “Steve…” Bucky tries to think of where to begin. “I’ll ask.”

                “So you’ll go then?”

                “I guess.” Bucky says indecisively. He has a lot to take care of but Peter and Charles are inviting him to do something. He just can’t turn down doing social things with Peter. “Yeah okay, I’m in.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is so weird! I'm writing two stories more or less in tandem with each other. The Not So Amazing Spiderman takes place about a month and a half earlier but it's still ugh. At some point the events of that story are going to run into this one. I feel really weird about writing this, what is effectively the squeal to that, while that one is still unfinished. What's even worse is by my current plan this story is stealing big plot stuff from that one because that story won't end until at least another month and a half's time after this chapter. Dear god what have I done. 
> 
> -The Trollop
> 
> The Trollop's tumblr: thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com


	12. Chapter 12

          Steve borrowed one of those masks that SHIELD uses to make people look exactly like someone else. In this case Steve looks exactly like the guy that works at the closest 7/11. He arrives promptly after class has ended and waits for Ms. Holland to finish taking the kids out to the buses. Sasha and Jamie wait outside in the hall while their father and teacher talk.

                “I hope things went better today.” Steve says after they’ve been introduced. Steve sits in a tiny chair while the teacher sits behind her desk.

                “Yes! Things went much better.” The young woman pushes some of her bangs out of her face. “They didn’t say a thing the whole day but that’s still better than yesterday.”

                “About that. My kids are a bit over educated. Honestly I had no idea they even knew about the genocide of the Native Americans.”

                “Admittedly I went home and did a bit of googling.” She says awkwardly. “I must have been out of country for the unit in middle school because I didn’t even know that was a thing.”

                Steve looks at her blankly. “Out of country?” He finally asks, hoping that there’s an explanation for this crap.

                “My father was in the army. We traveled with him to different bases internationally. This is a little embarrassing. I always wondered why they’re weren’t more Indians. I’ve been teaching this unit for six years and wondering. Makes a person question what else they don’t know.”

                “So now that you know, how is this going to change the unit?” Steve’s trying very hard to remain positive.

                “Well that’s the thing.” She says firmly. “Not at all.”

                “Can I ask why?” Steve asks, flabbergasted.

                “Because eight year old children should be allowed to retain a little innocence. I know now that Thanksgiving isn’t being portrayed 100% accurately, but if I were to go into all of that I’d be telling them things that they have no business knowing so young.” She fiddles with a pencil. “I think that the point of education is to teach children that there is always more to learn. As a teacher of third graders that means it’s my job to instruct my students the basics. Right now I’m going to teach them that Native Americans interacted with the first European settlers. For now that’s what’s good for them. I’m going to teach them that their forefathers were good so that they can relate and make it fun. In a few years they can learn about things that will make them question where they came from but not right now. We have to teach them something before we teach them how to question it. In high school they might look back on this and think it was all wrong but for now they think it’s fun. Half the class started crying yesterday when Jamie and Sasha went off about genocide. These kids just aren’t ready for that kind of brutal truth.”

                Steve considers this woman. She’s certainly smarter than she looks. Steve still doesn’t completely agree with her but he sees her point. “Fair enough.” He stands up. “Let me or my mate know if you feel anything comes up that we should be aware of. I’ll let you know if my children do.”

.oOo.

                The kids scamper off to go find Tony and con him into doing their math homework (Or wind up doing their math homework with him, most likely). Steve walks into his bedroom looking for Bucky.

                “Hey Buck, where are yah?” He calls.

                “I’m in here.” Bucky calls from the bathroom. Steve walks over to the doorway.

                “So the conference went-.” Steve stops talking as he takes in his mate. The closest thing to him is the omega’s superbly toned ass only just clothed by a pair of skin tight jeans. Bucky’s bent over the sink checking out his eyebrows in the mirror. He’s bare-chested and damp from showering. His only clothing at the moment is that pair of ridiculously snug skinny jeans he must have bought before he had the twins. They still fit him. They ride so low that the dimples of his lower back are an inch above his jean’s ‘waistline’. He looks over his shoulder at Steve, pushing his hair back up over his forehead. It looks like he just cut his hair so it hangs at jaw length.

                “Conference went how?” The omega asks. He stands up straight and spins around to face Steve. He leans his hips against the counter.

                “What?” Steve is completely lost. He can’t focus on one part of Bucky to be fixated on. Now that his ass is taken off display, the hard lines that run from the crests of his hips to his groin are front and center. His whole torso is lean, carved muscle. His nipples are darker and more prominent than they were before he had kids. Bucky shirtless has always turned the alpha on. Now that Bucky’s nursed, his chest has turned from just sexy to forbidden _and_ sexy. Then of course there’s Bucky face. The omega wears his usual amused simper as he watches Steve bluntly check him out.

                Bucky hooks his thumbs into his belt loops. “Remember these?” He asks his aroused mate.

                “No actually… I’m drawing a blank.” Steve’s focus has for the moment landed on the crotch of Bucky’s jeans. He doesn’t need any imagination to figure out how his mate’s cock and balls are sitting in them. Steve feels indecent just being near him. He looks away at the far wall of their bedroom to try and distract himself. Yes mauve walls, not sexy in the least.

                “I’m not surprised, I didn’t wear them that often. I’m kind of shocked they still fit.” Bucky says as if it’s nothing.

                “Can I ask what the occasion is?”

                “Peter and his friend invited me to go out tonight. I figured I’d wear something that didn’t look mom-ish.”

                Steve’s eyes snap to his mate. “You’re going to wear a shirt right?” Steve very nearly whines. The thought of Bucky going out IN JUST THAT makes him jealous and scared for him.  If Steve can barely hold back from jumping him, he hates to think what others might do to his sweetheart.

                “Of course I’m going to wear a shirt.” Bucky can’t believe Steve sometimes. “What did you think, I’m going to invite a bunch of creepy alphas to get a look at my tits? You’re nuts Rogers. Don’t freak out if I’m gone long, we might be out awhile. They want to go dancing.”

                “Dancing?! Why?” The corner of Steve’s mouth twitches. His stomach feels like he’s in free fall.

                “Because it’s fun.” Bucky says with a little chagrin. “No ulterior motives I promise. They don’t even know about that. Besides why would I even?” Bucky pauses. “Do you want to come?”

                Steve blinks at him a few times. “Uh yeah. Yeah! Sorry. No of course I will. If you want me to.”

                “Okay.” Bucky smiles unsurely.

                “Okay!” Steve answers unnecessarily loudly.


	13. Chapter 13

             “Hey kids! Guess what? You’re going to go stay at Franklin and Valeria’s house tonight! Great right?!” Steve practically shouts as he rapidly packs up their stuff. Jamie and Sasha watch in wonder as their dad manages to get them out the door in under three minutes. The two of them look at each other and decide whatever is going on is definitely a _sex thing_. As odd as this sudden change of plans is, they don’t mind going over to the Richards’ house one bit. Val is Sasha’s best friend and Jamie always has fun with them.

.oOo.

              Bucky texts Clint.

**Bucky: Hey man, can you watch Billy tonight? Steve and I are kind of going on a date.**

**Uncky: No way! Like an actual date? Not just roll around in bed/a training room together?!**

**Bucky: Yes a real date.**

**Uncky: You’re on.**

 

.oOo.

               Steve does his best to dress up. He finds that he buys clothes because they fit him functionally not because they’re sexy. Bucky watches him like a cat that got the cream while Steve gets dressed and undressed. Steve keeps making these little aggravated noises but is otherwise silent. Bucky is lying on his stomach kicking his feet in the air. He has his head propped up with one arm. Steve glances at him occasionally which only makes the displeased noises intensify.

              “Baby…” Bucky shakes his head. “What are you doing?” He finally asks after the fifth change of shirt. Steve groans and looks from the mirror to his hot-as-sin mate.

              “Trying to not look... goofy.” That’s the word Tony uses sometimes to describe Steve’s outfits. He seems to have mastered workout clothes but date clothes, that’s uncharted territory. Bucky and Steve haven’t had a lot of time for dates. Steve never had occasion to practice.

              “Stevie!” Bucky groans. “You don’t look goofy! It should be illegal to look the way you look.”

              “My shirts don’t fit right. Nothing ever fits right. It’s always too tight it in shoulders and arms.” Steve says with a scowl. “For all my problems before the serum at least then clothes were easy.”

               “Ugggh!” Bucky gets up.

               “What?

               Bucky picks up the second shirt combination he picked up. It’s a thin, light grey, cotton sweater and an earthy red tight fighting shirt with a few buttons below the collar. Steve’s a little surprised at how Bucky manhandles him into getting dressed, he likes it though. He pulls the tighter shirt on first then the sweater. As soon as Bucky finishes getting Steve into them he cocks an eyebrow at his mate and starts undoing the front of his jeans.

               “Umm.” Steve blushes. Bucky doesn’t even pause to comment on Steve’s semi-hard dick. Steve does catch just the slightest glance of Bucky licking his lips quickly. Bucky pulls Steve’s jeans down a little.

               “Black slacks I think. You definitely need black slacks.” Bucky turns and grabs a pair he thinks really accentuate Steve’s legs. Bucky turns back to his mate and pushes the pair to Steve’s chest. Steve glances down, thrown by Bucky’s sudden pause. “Come on Steve.” Bucky gives him a look. “If I get down on my knees to put these on you, you and I both know I’m not getting back up.”

               “Well then.” He takes his pants. “Allow me.” Steve says with his best poker face. He’d actually prefer they just stay home tonight. He’s doing this mostly because he’s terrified of what will happen if Bucky goes dancing alone. Bucky smirks and goes to make sure his hair dried alright. He winds up putting just a dash of product in it. Bucky wound up putting on a black, v neck, long sleeve shirt with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. He also wears a camouflage mesh that covers The Weapon so that it matches his opposite arm. His usual fingerless gloves are his one accessory tonight.

                “You ready?” Bucky asks after he’s given himself one last look over.

                “Yes.” Steve leans in the doorway with his arms crossed. Bucky turns his head and looks at him.

                “You look really good Stevie.” Buck tells him with a little, happy smile.

                “Just as long as you think so.” Steve blushes.

                “Okay, I’ll play like you’re not vain.” Bucky saunters over to him and kisses his cheek. “You’re secret’s safe with me.” He pats his alphas chest. Steve chuckles and goes with Bucky to the door.

.oOo.

                That night is Throwback Thursday at a dance club called Mickey’s. Peter has been to the place before with friends who enjoyed watching the dancing. Unlike a lot of places, what goes on there is not the typical grinding that has become ‘the thing to do’ these days. At this place, it doesn’t matter what kind of music is playing, you are expected to know how to dance a little. The result is people come in and dance everything from the waltz to choreographed hip hop to the songs of the current moment. It’s a popular place for spectating and for dancing. If you have talent, you go to Mickey’s. Throwback Thursdays are one of their most popular nights because they exclusively play music from 1930 to 1990. The variety is huge and the hits are always classic gems. Throwback Thursday also has three dollar whiskey shots.

                Erik and Charles will have none of that of course. The two of them drink scotch whenever they can get it. The two of them are nursing their glasses in a booth. Peter, however, has had three shots so far.

                “What about him?” Charles gestures to a beta that looks friendly enough. He’s been trying to suggest people for Peter to go dance with.

                “He looks like he might lock him up in a basement.” Erik says as he takes a drink. Charles gives him an appalled look. Peter chuckles.

                “Why do you think that?”

                “You can never tell.”

                “That’s not helpful!” Charles huffs. “I’m trying to find a nice chap for Peter to dance with and all you do is tell us my choices are some kind of sexual perverts.”

                “That last time I was actually thinking cannibal.” Erik almost smiles. Charles tosses back the rest of his drink.

                “Thank you for that Erik.” Charles stands up and motions for Peter to scoot out of the booth. “Come now Peter, I will dance with you.”

                “You really don’t have to.” Peter stays where he is, refusing to go towards the dance floor.

                “Oh but I want to!” Charles says very pleasantly. Peter keeps his feet planted. He really doesn’t want to dance.

                Luckily that’s when Charles spots Bucky and Steve. “James!” Charles yells and waves his hand. He’s a little drunk. Peter stares at the handsome couple and wonders, not for the first time, how these people are his friends.

.oOo.

                Steve is on high alert tonight. It seems like every single person they see is checking Bucky out. Some of the drunker ones just flat out stare at Bucky’s ass. It makes Steve a little proud but also crazy possessive. He has an arm firmly holding Bucky’s waist. He’s glad that Bucky’s shirt leaves his bond bite on display for everyone to see.

                Bucky has quite the opposite experience. As they walk into the club all eyes are glued to Steve and not for the reason they used to be. There was a time when they’d go into a dance hall and people would openly sneer at his alpha. Those assholes completely missed how great he was. Instead they tried to pick Bucky up at every opportunity they got. They’d say things like, ‘your little alpha ain’t gonna care. He’d probably be happy to see you get a good fuck. Bet he can’t even knot.’ Those fuckers got drinks in their faces and fights in dark alleys for their trouble. Bucky would put up with a lot of things, but people insinuating he was anything but overjoyed to have Steve on his arm was just not going to fly. Steve unfortunately took those things to heart more than he should have.

                Instead, tonight everyone is thinking Bucky must be the luckiest omega in the whole damn world. He is of course. A few people might recognize Steve but neither of them cares at this point. It happens sometimes and they just have to live with it. It’s not going to kill Bucky’s buzz tonight. Steve is the biggest prize a guy could ever hope to win. He always has been.

                Bucky glances sideways at Steve. He’s got this expression of dread written all over his face. He’s still too handsome to be real. Bucky gets the feeling people are probably looking at him too, but who gives a rat’s ass. These days the peanut gallery is probably wondering why a catch like Steve has such an overly masculine looking omega. Never mind that he’s healthy and physically at his peak, he’s still too alpha-like to be considered a really beautiful omega.

                “James!” Charles yells. They spot the pretty omega waving at them enthusiastically. Someone seems to have hit the booze. They approach leisurely. “You two look fantastic!” Charles declares. Actually their whole group is uncannily good looking. Peter and Charles are both exactly what an omega is supposed to look like. Erik isn’t on Bucky’s radar as far as attractiveness goes. He doesn’t have eyes for anyone but Steve. Ever since they bonded other alphas just don’t seem appealing to him. He supposes Erik is nice to look at but he doesn’t relate being good looking to sex in his case. In all other cases, actually. The only reason he registers that other omegas are sexually appealing is because on a subconscious level he’s keeping a look out for omegas who might threaten what he has with his mate. It’s silly and he knows it. These are his friends and they’d never do anything so out of line.

                Charles walks up to them and hugs them both at the same time. Steve’s hackles raise as soon as he smells Charles. He’s never smelled someone so thoroughly scented as _belonging_ to someone. He’s not even comfortable touching this omega for fear of what the owner of that mark will do. Charles neck is unmarked. If Steve had to guess the rather overpowering scent is from an alpha who’s had a particularly long and frustrating courtship with this omega. The alpha himself is glaring daggers at Steve, knowing what Steve must smell on Charles. Erik raises his glass to Steve. He’s not making a threat, rather commending a brother in arms. They understand one another’s feelings about their respective omegas.

                “Uh hi.” Steve says to Charles. He gives him a little nudge so that the buzzed omega will let go. Erik seems to approve of them. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

                “It’s nice to meet you Captain Rogers.” Charles whispers rather loudly. “I’m a big fan, I actually bought your comics when they were _first_ released in drug stores and newsstands. I’m an old fart, I know.” Charles giggles. “We were about to go dancing do you want to join us?”

                Peter looks beseechingly at Bucky. Bucky gives him a look.

                “What’s the matter, don’t know how?” Bucky asks. He pats Steve’s hand on his waist in silent signal to release. Steve reluctantly lets him go.

                “Is it that obvious?” Peter asks.

                “I’m a psychic, how did I miss that?” Charles ponders allowed. Steve looks at Bucky. He points at Charles. Bucky waves it off.

                “Long story. I’ll tell you later.” He grabs Peter by the forearm. “Come on I’ll teach you to dance. You can’t be much worse than Steve.” Bucky smirks and winks at his mate. Steve is now a pretty good dancer. The serum improved his coordination and stamina which applied to dancing as well. Before the serum he could only do slow dances. 

                “Well I suppose I shall have to dredge the population to find someone who is not a serial killer, cannibal, or rapist.” Charles wanders off to go find a dance partner. Steve sits down in the booth with Erik.

                “You’re Erik Lehnsherr aren’t you?” Steve asks with absolutely no doubt of it.

                “Charles talks far too much when he’s drunk.”

                “I see. Bucky said he’d explain, so I suppose there’s no need to get into it if you don’t want to.”

                “Thanks. I’d rather not.” Erik tells him before he takes another drink of his scotch.

                “Mind answering another question I have then?” Steve inquires.

                “Ask and I’ll say yes or no.” Erik tells him dryly.

                “Why didn’t you just go dance with him?”

                Erik takes a deep breath and sighs. “Because I’ve been lying to him for fifty years. He’s been paralyzed for most of our acquaintance so there was no reason to tell him I know how to dance. Not when he likes it so much.”

                “I’ve read your file, doesn’t seem like there was much time for dancing.”

                “You know even terrorists like night life from time to time. When I was as young as I am now I’d lose track of my target and have to lay low for months and wait for new information to surface. I had to do something with me time.”   

                “Fair enough.” Steve nods.


	14. Chapter 14

               Charles is a lot more devious than people give him credit for. He’s worked with children long enough to learn how to pull some really underhanded shit and still not care. Charles has had Wade’s phone number for a while now and has been keeping him updated about Peter. Wade and Charles know each other from various team-ups over the years. While Wade isn’t necessarily his favorite person, he really admires the devotion it’s taken for Wade to suffer it out with Peter for so long. So Charles gave the man the benefit of the doubt and called Wade earlier that night.

                As Charles ‘looks for someone to dance with’ he scans the club for Wade. He’s not actually looking for a dance partner. He has a more than capable one sitting at the booth. Charles intends to threaten Erik with everything he’s got to get him to dance. Right now he needs to find Wade though. It’s harder than he thought it would be.

.oOo.

                “Seems to me you know how to dance.” Bucky says accusingly. He’s had an easy time of showing Peter some basic swing moves. Peter only needs a song before he can dance as well as anyone else there. Peter’s super powers help the way Steve’s serum does.

                “It’s been years though.” Peter admits as he and Bucky twist.

                “Why’d you lie to me and Charles then?” Bucky frowns.

                “I was hoping to be allowed to just watch.”

                “Why’d you change your mind?”

                Peter turns with Bucky gracefully. “I guess I forgot what it’s like to have fun.” Peter suddenly twitches and gets this look on his face that screams 'oh no!'. Bucky stops dancing, worried he’s upset Peter.

                “Mind if I cut in?”

                They recognize the voice instantly but the presence is not what they expected. Wade stands there in plain civilian clothes and his mask. Bucky hasn’t ever seen him look this cleaned up before. He’s wearing a black polo shirt with the collar popped and a few buttons undone, black pants, and polished black shoes. Remarkably his arms and part of his chest is bare. Bucky’s never had such a good look at his scars before. Bucky was expecting his skin to look like meatloaf. Bucky decides it looks more like he was in a tornado filled with cheese graters. It’s not nearly as bad as what Wade has made it seem while still being grizzly. Peter shakes his head.

                “What you didn’t think I’d show?” Wade sounds a little pissed. “Because guess what? I did!”

                “I thought you didn’t like clubs or dancing and shit?” Bucky asks.

                “You’re right, I don’t like _modern_ clubs or dancing! But eighties dance romcoms are what I live for!” Wade gestures wildly with his hands. “You just kind of assumed and didn’t ask, of course I would come dancing with you! Now do you want me here or not? Because if you don’t, I’ll go. I still don’t like big crowds.” Wade professes. He scuffs his shoe on the ground a few times looking bashful with his body language. Peter starts laughing at him. Bucky looks between the unstable couple wondering what’s next.

                “Patrick Swayze? I thought for sure you’d go with Kevin Bacon.” Peter shakes his head at the outfit straight out of Dirty Dancing.

                “I would have but I thought certain present parties might be offended.” 

 “Where did you even get that?”

                “It was just something I had lying around.” Bucky can tell Wade’s smiling.

.oOo.

                There is no bigger sap than Charles Xavier. Really what is the point of being so powerful if you don’t use those powers to help young people reenact famous eighties dance movies? With just a little hint to the DJ, he does his best and his worst.

.oOo.

                The damn song starts playing. Peter hangs his head.

                “Did you plan this?” He asks Wade. He’s still smiling even as he looks at the floor.

                “No, but I’ll shamelessly claim credit. Wait, that works better if I don’t say that out loud.”

                “No kidding.”

                Bucky makes his exit quietly as the two of them do their best to imitate the choreography to the ending song from Dirty Dancing, ‘I Had The Time of My Life’. He walks back to the booth and finds Erik, Steve, and Charles watching. Bucky looks over his shoulder. The crowd starts cheering. A lot of people here have seen this movie apparently. For a second it looks like Peter is about to walk away. Bucky looks down at Charles. The psychic omega waves it off and points for Bucky to watch. Bucky looks back to see Peter run back to Wade. Wade picks Peter up over his head and holds him there. Bucky has done exactly the same thing with his kids when they were babies. He still does it with Billy.

                “Well that was rather risky of you.” Erik tells Charles. Charles gives him a concerned look.

                “I know but I felt it was worth it.”

                “It’s a shame really.” Steve says, not referring to their conversation. “That those two didn’t meet before Peter bonded with his first mate. I know Peter likes to remember Gwen as being perfect but…” On the dance floor Peter and Wade are laughing hysterically in each other’s arms as the impressed club goers applaud. “I somehow doubt it was like this.” Steve looks up at Bucky, who hasn’t actually sat down. “Don’t tell him I said that.” Bucky leans down and kisses Steve’s forehead. Bucky’s thought the same thing before.

                The song fades out. The next one Steve and Bucky both recognize. They’ve listened to it a hundred times together. When Sam had first recommended Marvin Gaye he didn’t know what he’d done. Steve started listening to his music and wound up finding a few songs that reminded him so much of Bucky he’d break down crying when he heard them. That is, until he found Bucky and brought him home and listened to the songs with him. Turns out Bucky feels the same way Steve feels about ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’; Kind of like somebody wrote it about them.

                Steve grabs Bucky’s hand. “Wanna dance?” He asks.

                “Yes!” Bucky answers eagerly. The two of them scamper to the dance floor as fast as they can.

.oOo.

                “Ahh!” Bucky moans between he and his mate’s intertwined mouths. Steve yanks down those skin tight jeans like they’re offensive. He grabs the omega’s ass so quickly it feels like a swat. Bucky whines as he rips open the front of Steve’s slacks.

                “God, Buck! You sound so amazing when you’re this hot for it. Come here.” Steve throws him onto their bed and pins him down.

                “No you come here!” Bucky husks back. He grabs Steve’s head and pulls him down for a kiss. Bucky wraps a leg around Steve’s hips and flips them over so Steve’s the one with his back on the bed.

                “Don’t care just want you.” Steve says breathily. Bucky pushes their mouths together as if it will save his life.

.oOo.

                 The two of them sway in in each other’s arms. Occasionally Bucky will even let Steve spin him but only if he gets to spin him back. Steve kisses Bucky and slows their dancing. It’s rather chaste compared to what he wants to do to him.

.oOo.

                The two of them are naked and covered in sweat. Bucky has his face pressed up against the wall above their bed while Steve thrusts home into his ass. Bucky screams a litany of praises and curses with his arm and The Weapon clawing at the wall for support.

.oOo.

                “About earlier…” Bucky says quietly as the two of them sway together. “I really hope you know I won’t ever do that again.”

                “I know.” Steve sighs. “It was just a gut reaction.”  Bucky wraps his arms around Steve’s neck and kisses him under the jaw. Steve nuzzles him back.

                “Come on what do you think this is, 1940? We don’t need the splash for medicine or rent no more.” A little bit of his Brooklyn accent bleeds into his words for just a moment. “And besides, even if I tried for some unthinkable reason, I don’t think rich mom’s pay male omegas to take their daughters out any more like they used to.” Bucky jokes. Back in their day, rich families who wanted their daughters to have a nice time would pay a male omega who looks like an alpha to take their daughter out and show her what a fun date is supposed to be like. Those girls would have to get hooked for money and never have the chance to fool around with a poor, fun guy like Bucky. But for the price of Steve’s medication they could enjoy his company for the night and maybe even a little action for the price of rent. Omegas having sex together wasn’t viewed as sexual back then. An omega only lost their ‘virginity’ after they’d been knotted by an alpha. Whoever decided that had obviously never seen what Bucky could get up to.

.oOo.

                “Oh fuck! Fuck! FUCK!” Bucky pulls his own hair as he bears down on Steve’s cock through another orgasm. He’s been let down off the wall but is still taking it from behind. Steve’s hands are going to leave bruises on the globes of Bucky’s ass. “Fuck!” More slick pulses out of him as Steve hits his sweet spot. Another stream of Bucky’s come dirties the sheets. Steve’s being careful to just barely get aroused enough so that he starts to knot before he backs off. They’ve been having sex for an hour and Steve still hasn’t knotted. Bucky is worth it.

                Steve pulls out of his omega and lays down next to him. Bucky pants with his eyes clenched shut. Steve shifts so his head is on the pillows that got pushed around when they were up against the wall. Bucky mewls as Steve grabs him by the hips and drags him backwards into his lap. Bucky looks over his shoulder at his mate. Bucky is gorgeously fucked out looking. For all his ability to sass he’s been reduced to a few key phrases to express how he feels. Steve pets him from the nape of his neck down to his tail bone.

                “Bend forward.” Steve instructs. Bucky practically collapses forward with his arm and The Weapon folded under his face. Like this, his asshole is wonderfully presented for Steve’s inspection. Steve likes to tease him like this in between rounds when he’s too sensitive. The alpha inserts his thumb and forefinger into his mate and watches as he slowly parts them.

                “Oooh!” Bucky cries. He’s not being stretched even close to his limits but the feeling of Steve _watching_ him as he plays with him is almost too much. “Mmm!”

                Steve slips his fingers around inside his omega in the mess of lubrication and pre-come that his cock has been keeping inside him. Bucky’s thighs shakes when Steve touches his glands that respond to knotting. He puts harder pressure on one of them experimentally. After being fucked like this, Bucky’s body is expecting a knot. Paradoxically, during knotting the ring of muscles at the entrance of an omega’s body will relax to stretch wider while internally they contract. The false stimulation from Steve’s fingers causes the same effect.

                “Jesus Christ.” Steve groan as he watches Bucky flex around his fingers. The omega whines for more than he’s being given.

.oOo.

                The three couples dance until the club is about to close. The three couples part ways pleasantly with promises to catch up soon.

                Bucky and Steve take a cab home. Steve has an arm around Bucky’s shoulders and his head leaned on his head. Bucky nuzzles his neck occasionally. Steve’s memory didn’t do dancing with Bucky justice. His omega has always been aroused by dancing. Steve forgot what that does to him. Bucky takes Steve’s idle hand and presses it up against the inseam of his jeans. Steve’s nerves buzz. He grazes his fingers over the damp fabric covering Bucky’s inner thigh. Steve presses his lips to Bucky’s ear so the cab driver won’t hear.

                “You’re _soaked_!” Steve whispers harshly. He presses his fingers up into the omega’s core just behind his balls. Bucky bites his lip hard to keep from making debauched noises. “You’re heat isn’t for five more weeks?” Steve can’t help himself, he kisses behind Bucky’s ear.

                “Muh!” Bucky yips. Both of their eyes snap to the cabbie. He’s not paying attention. Bucky turns his head so that he can whisper back to Steve. “I don’t have to be in heat to be horny Stevie.” Bucky takes Steve’s face in his hands and looks at him in the eyes. Steve has turned a sweet pink color. His pupils are huge and Bucky can smell how much he wants him. Steve takes a deep breath.

                 “We should go dancing more often.”


	15. Chapter 15

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning! The Chapter Contains Explicit Sexual Content.

                “One more.” Steve pets Bucky’s sweaty head. Bucky throws his arm over his eyes.

                “Uhn! No, Stevie I can’t.” Bucky whimpers to him. Steve has Bucky’s thighs splayed around his hips. Bucky may complain but his dick is still firm next to Steve’s. He’s over sensitive for now. He just came five times in the past hour. His whole body feels heavy from the strain of withstanding sex with his mate. Steve leans down and gives Bucky a chaste little kiss.

                “Come on. You can do this.” He assures him. Bucky bites his lower lip. He grabs Steve’s shoulders and nods.

                “Just slow, okay?”

                “Okay. Then we’ll knot and we’ll be done for the night.” Steve caresses Bucky’s cheek affectionately. Bucky smiles, a little drunk from the orgasms. Bucky gives him another nod so he knows to get moving.

                Steve spreads his mate’s cheeks and lines up his cock. Bucky lets out a little, high pitched gasp as Steve pushes the head back into him. He’s plenty ready for the stretch, it feels like he’s been stuffed full all night, he’s just _very_ sensitive. Steve slides into him easily and slowly. Just like he promised. He doesn’t even insert himself all the way inside before he’s backing out again. The next thrust and the several after that are all lazy and shallow. At a gradual pace he begins to push in deeper. The closer he gets to being all of the way inside his mate the more forceful his strokes get. Bucky gasps with every thrust. The meeting of their hips is punctuated by the clap of skin meeting skin. Bucky lets out a long debauched moan that lasts several hard slaps.

                “Oh God!”  Bucky digs his fingers into Steve’s shoulder. He’s long gotten over trying to be careful with The Weapon during sex. “Fuck, Stevie.”

                Steve huffs from the effort of making his thrusts so measured. Bucky is so delectably tight and wet around his girth. He’s just perfect. Made for him. He’s certain nobody else in the world could do this to him. He can feel his knot swelling by how tight Bucky feels around his base. Bucky pushes his head back against the pillow.

                “Buck-! So- perfect! You stretch uh-! Just right.” Steve manages to grunt between powerful strokes. Tears are starting to gather around the omega’s eyes.

                “Uh! Uh! Uh! Uh!Uh!Oh!Uhnh!” Bucky clenches tight around Steve’s thickening knot. He’s going to come again! This one’s going to be even stronger with a knot. His body struggles to clamp around such a large intrusion. Orgasms with a knot are more powerful but harder to reach.

                Steve’s hindbrain is losing track of Bucky’s request for slow. Deep and forceful is giving way to deep, forceful, and at inhuman speeds. Bucky’s sure no one else is capable of thrusting that deep that fast with a knot all at the same time. All Bucky can do is bite his lower lip and whine for merciful release. Steve grunts with every piston of his hips. His knot is making his thrusts shorten. The small rapid strokes focus Steve’s onslaught on one of Bucky’s most sensitive spots. Steve is rather graciously avoiding his prostate because he’s already fucked Bucky through too many orgasms with that as his target. He’d hurt him if he kept that up now. What he’s doing feels like ecstasy for the omega. Every few strokes Steve will hit close to that delicate gland and almost break Bucky with the shock of pleasure and a hint of too much sensation.

                “Steve! Steve! Steve! Fuck! Steve!” Those little nicks to his prostate are what has him howling his mate’s name.

                Steve’s abdomen clenches up to it’s limit. His knot is fully expanded inside his omega. He still nudges his hips forward until Bucky ejaculates weakly onto his own stomach. The orgasm that ripples around Steve’s cock is far more powerful and exactly what Steve needed to climax. He comes into his mate with a groan and a sigh. He braces his arms against the bed as he shakes through it. He pushed himself holding out so long. The buzz he feels now totally justifies that.

                Bucky pulls Steve down so that he lays down on top of him. Steve’s weight is substantial but nothing to Bucky. He feels like a thick blanket to him.

                “Mmmmm.” Steve hums. He presses his face into Bucky’s scent glands. Bucky hugs Steve’s head to him and kisses the top of it. “You okay?” Steve checks.

                “Someday I’m going to stick my knotting vibrator up your ass so you know how this feels.” Bucky mummers. The pressure on his knotting glands causes his body to flood with hormones to relax him. As if six orgasms didn’t do that on it’s own.

                “I’ve bottomed before.” Steve would blush but he’s already flushed pink from the exertion.

                “Not with a knot you haven’t. You know they have toys that can fake that.” Bucky says wistfully. Steve thinks about it for a second.

                “Are you telling me you want to top sometime?” He asks curiously.

                “It’s been… wow, a long time.” Bucky drums his fingers on Steve’s shoulder. He wasn’t actually suggesting it before but now it sounds interesting at least.

                “Because I wouldn’t be opposed to that. You’re great on top.” Steve knows both from experience and from the sounds his ‘dates’ used to make in the other room.

                “Maybe. I’ll think about it.” Bucky kisses Steve’s forehead. Steve gives him a questioning look. Bucky seldom mulls over sex. Steve supposes he should let him puzzle out whatever his hang up is. He’ll figure it out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have been so heavily distracted by my sims and also by moving around through airports and reuniting with friends. I went to my mom's class yesterday and wound up teaching twenty five first and second graders about Yetis. In other news Bucky and Steve have the most adorable little sims family. That is all.


	16. Chapter 16

            The next morning Sue takes the kids to school for them so they don’t have to get up. They’ve done the same for Sue before so it’s not a big deal. Steve and Bucky actually sleep in for once. Steve gets behind on his schedule but it was worth it to wake up so gently. He and Bucky take a shower together. As soon as they finally admit they’ve waited long enough, Steve hurries out the door to go deal with a meeting he’s late for. Bucky observes that Billy has been stealthily put back in his bed. He’s asleep. Bucky takes an hour nap before he finally drags himself up.

            Clint and Natasha are hanging out in the common room having coffee and watching some ridiculous reality TV show.

            “Morning.” Clint says to Bucky when he walks in. Bucky raises a hand in greeting.

            “I put Billy in his room while you were in the shower.” Natasha says without making eye contact. She has her head leaned on Clint’s shoulder. Bucky pours himself some coffee.

            “I saw that. Thanks.” He says.

            On the TV, two people sit next to each other at a news desk smiling and giggles over some kind of celebrity gossip.

            “ _Last night we got a very special peek at one of America’s favorite superheroes. Captain America hit the club last night with a very special someone: his mate!”_

            Bucky pales. “Turn that up!” JARVIS adjusts the volume as requested.

            The screen shows pictures taken by cellphones. Some of them are pretty good quality. They even play a video of the two of them doing a particularly intense dance. To Bucky’s horror, the next photo they show is a close up of him smiling at Steve. It’s high enough quality to be undoubtedly him.

_“These two are absolutely adorable together. And look at Sergeant Barnes! Wow! Captain Rogers is a lucky man.”_

_“I think it goes both ways.”_

            “Turn it off!” Bucky yells. JARVIS obliges before Natasha can get to the remote.

            Bucky takes a couple of shuddering breaths. His face was just all over TV! It must be everywhere on the internet. Has anyone made the connection to his children yet? Somebody might recognize him and know he has kids. What if those fuckers from that TV show find out about them? They’ll talk about it non-stop until his babies are a target for every villain he and Steve have ever faced!

            “Ah!” Bucky yelps. He runs back to his suite and goes to the baby room. Bucky picks Billy up out of his crib where he was sleeping. He hugs him close and tries to contain little whimpers before they frighten his son. Billy wakes groggily. Bucky has his face pressed against the side of his head. Bucky sits down in the recliner in the corner. He hits the activate switch on the room’s defense system and listens to the sound of the room locking down. Billy burbles at him concernedly.

            “Shh shh shh.” Bucky sooths as he lovingly strokes the little one’s back. He kisses the side of his head. “I’ve got you. You’re safe.” Bucky leans back in the chair and holds Billy to his chest. He closes his eyes and tries to rationalize his way out of this panic attack. Billy whines and starts sucking on Bucky’s shirt. Bucky sighs and pulls it off so Billy can have breakfast. Normally he’d try and dissuade him with a bottle but at the moment that kind of closeness is exactly what he needs.

.oOo.

             “Steve, Bucky’s having a panic attack.” Clint reports.

             “ _I’m coming home!”_ Steve yells over the phone.

.oOo.

             Steve is there in ten minutes. Considering he was in DC, that’s a feat of love. He may have stolen a jet. The security system deactivates for him automatically.

             “Bucky!” Steve finds him curled around Billy in his chair. The two of them are wrapped in a blanket together. “Oh baby…”

             Bucky reaches forward for Steve with one arm. The baby complains at having his mother stolen. “Hey. I-I-!” Bucky stammers before tucking his head under Steve’s chin. Bucky holds Billy as Steve holds him.

             “What happened?” Steve still hasn’t heard.

             “My face! All over the TV! They took pictures of us dancing.”

             “Oh.” Steve knows how much that’s always scared Bucky. Bucky’s face is public knowledge but he’s yet to be photographed since he came back from becoming The Winter Soldier.  He was programed to avoid having his photo taken. It’s never really worn off. Bucky takes their family pictures, he doesn’t get in them. The family portraits they have are all drawn by Steve. This is a huge blow to Bucky’s sense of security. “I understand. What do you want to do?”

             “Go to ground. Take the kids and go off the grid for a couple of years. I’m picturing the Canadian wilderness.” He’s being completely serious.

             “Um…while I respect in some scenarios that might be appropriate, I don’t think this is one of them. How about a compromise?”

             “What did you have in mind?”

             “Well Thanksgiving is next Thursday. The kids have Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday off. We could take them out of school on Monday and Tuesday for a family trip. People do that I guess. We’ve never done it before for fun.” Just incidents where their lives were potentially threatened or someone they loved was badly hurt. “You were thinking the wilderness… how about camping?”

.oOo.

              The Rogers family has never been camping before. Bucky tells them it’s not that hard. He spent three months of his life living in a cave while the world went to shit during some ‘Ultron’ bullshit he didn’t get involved in. He was still uncontrollably waffling back and forth between Bucky and The Winter Soldier. He spent his time as Bucky screaming at a rock that looked like Steve and smacking his head against trees. It was a trying time in his life. He got really good at camping. What they are doing now does not in any way resembles what Bucky considers camping.

              The first mistake was inviting people. Steve always makes a big deal about getting everyone together for thanksgiving and cooking an enormous feast. Since they are doing that camping style this year, naturally people had to come with them. Natasha and Barton subscribe to the same ‘sticks and a tarp’ philosophy that Bucky believes in. They are not the problem. Bruce and Jane are the kind of people who buy overly priced camping goods from REI but are only mildly comfortable being in the outdoors. Sam’s enthusiastic and willing, but clueless about how to ‘woods’. He’s happy as can be to be a brave mountain man staking a claim to his own turf. His girlfriend is going to join them on Wednesday, he plans to have a palace in place for her by then. Now if only he could figure out these tent poles. Peter and Charles will also be showing up on Wednesday with their significant others as well. Charles and Erik will be attempting to keep up their false identities. That is assuming Charles doesn’t get drunk and start blabbing again. If that happens it could become a problem. But that’s Wednesday and Bucky’s more concerned with the now.

                The problem is Tony. Pepper is extremely busy during Thanksgiving and has promised what little time she has to her god awful mother. Tony thinks that woman is a demon hiding in disgustingly wrinkled flesh. If this is true, it’s a terrible disguise. Pepper’s mother has banned Tony from all Potts family gatherings for life. Nothing he could do or say could make up for The Great Oven Disaster of 2001. Ironically, The Great Oven Disaster didn’t even involve an oven. Thus he will not be spending Thanksgiving with Pepper for once. Thanks Satan/Pepper’s mom. Tony hates nature, but he also hates being alone with no one to fawn over him. Since Pepper is out of the question, that leaves The Avengers and their friends. The Avengers, their friends, and a whole lot of sticks.

                “OWW!” Tony yelps as he gets swatted in the calf by another twig. “These things are like little whips! Who made these and why?”

                “That would be trees, Tony.” Steve tells him patiently as he tries to figure out how to set up Tony’s ridiculously high-tech tent.

                “Thanks a lot flora! You suck balls!” Tony shouts at a nearby oak. A leaf falls near him. “Ah! It’s after me!” He backs into Steve. Steve just looks at him like he’s a hundred percent done. He shakes his head.

                “How do you even put this together?”

                “There’s a button.” Tony searches for it amidst the fabric of his tent. He finds the base of the thing’s exoskeleton. “Ah ha! Found you, you little bastard!”

                “Tony, language.” Steve scolds. Tony pushes the button he spoke of. The tent explodes into a flurry of motion. Steve stumbles away. “Holy hell!”

                “Ha! Made you swear.” Tony says triumphantly. The tent settles down having arranged itself into a small house with a dome roof. The door seals with an electromagnet run by arch reactor technology. It has a bug zapper screen, wireless internet, Starkpad interfacing, a link to JARVIS, a stove, and heating. The tent itself is made of waterproof, bear-proof Kevlar.

                Steve blinks at Tony’s set up. “You brought… a hotel room?” He looks disgusted. Sam comes walking over with a broken tent pole.

                “Steve did you pack any duct tape? I need to…” Sam shakes his head at Tony. Tony frowns.

                “What?” He shouts. “I don’t like camping! I dislike being damp, and cold, and attacked by bugs. I like technology and-!” The tent suddenly loses power and reverts to being a lumpy mess on the ground. “Hey! What? What?!” Tony looks around.

                On the other side of the dilapidated tent stands Bucky throwing the arch reactor that ran the tent up and down with The Weapon. “No.” He says simply and walks back to his own tent. Bucky, Steve, and Sam stand there speechless.

                Bucky stashes the offensive object in his bag of essentials. He’s feeling much better now that they’re out of the city but he still can’t shake the need to constantly look over his shoulder. Billy sits on the nest they’ve set up in their tent. Bucky can’t handle sleeping bags so they brought a foam mattress pad and made it up like it’s a bed. Bucky, Steve, and their kids will snuggle up together tonight. That sounds just about perfect to Bucky.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I accidentally got Steve pregnant(sims 4). So in my sims world I guess Steve is the omega... Woop woop woop woop!*Zoidbergs away*
> 
> -The Trollop


	17. Chapter 17

                Bucky! This isn’t fair!” Tony complains from outside the tent. He wouldn’t dare intrude for fear of being mutilated.

                Bucky reclines on his bed with his ankles crossed and his baby on his chest. He has his eyes closed as he argues with Tony. Not that Tony has any chance of winning.

                “Tony, no. We came out here because I wanted to get off the grid. We are in the middle of a SHIELD wilderness training area so that there won’t even be planes passing over us. The most advanced piece of transmitting technology we have is a radio. If I let you have that monstrosity of a tent you’ll be putting a technological beacon on our location. No.”

                “You!” Tony clenches his fists. “I demand something!”

                Darcy helpfully appears at his side. She hands him her ipod. “Just give up. You’ll only make him angry. You don’t want to know what he’ll do when he’s angry.”

                Tony looks pathetic holding the ipod. “I hate camping.” He hisses. Steve strolls up next to him.

                “Well if you like, you can go set up targets for paintball sniping?” He offers. Tony gives him a dirty look.

                “Is that supposed to comfort me? You know what would make me happy? My music library, the internet, a hot tub! So many things that have nothing to do with paintball sniping! Are we going to play _paintball_ paintball? Because that I might enjoy. Putting a big red dot right on that technophobe’s face would be-!”

                “Ill advised.” Bucky growls from the tent. Tony pouts at the closed tent door. Steve shakes his head and closes his eyes.

                “Tony just… relax.” He shakes his finger, glancing around. “We’ll find you a place to relax.”

                “I’ll take care of it.” Darcy pats Tony’s shoulder. “You and the paintball I mean. Darcy loves paintball. And as for you, I think Bruce and Jane are having fun setting up a ghetto observatory.” Darcy waggles her eyebrows over the ghetto observatory. Tony sighs. She escorts him off while he continues to complain.

                Steve rubs his forehead. “Buck, can I come in?”

                “Yeah, it’s okay.” Bucky mumbles. Steve unzips the tent and crawls in. He has to lean quite a bit to maneuver inside it.  It’s just long enough for them to fit their queen-sized, foam mattress pad with enough space to hold a few essential items. That constitutes Bucky’s favorite semi-automatic and Steve’s shield. All other necessities are outside under a tarp in sealed plastic bins. Billy coos at Steve as he crawls up to be at Bucky’s side. Bucky holds him up for Steve to fawn over but not to take. Bucky’s keeping a firm hold on his baby.

                “Hi.” Steve nuzzles his child.  Steve puts an arm around Bucky’s shoulders and tucks him into his side. Bucky is content to hold Billy between them. Steve shifts a little and pulls a squeaky ball toy with a bell on it out of his sweatshirt pocket. Billy reaches for it. There is a little plastic ring for him to grab onto. Steve gives him that part and lets Billy swing it about delightedly. Bucky gets smacked with the bell but doesn’t react. “Sorry.” Steve apologizes. “I thought he looked bored.”

                “Why because he was sitting alone with me?” Bucky blocks another attack with his palm.            

                “Why don’t you let me carry him around and keep him safe so you can go teach the kids how to snipe? They’ve been asking for years?” Steve pauses. “Jamie doesn’t like the woods and Sasha likes it way too much.”

                “You have to come with us.” Bucky demands.

                “Of course.” Steve kisses Bucky’s forehead. This is a big win for him. So far Bucky has left the tent for supplies for Billy and to destroy Tony’s tent. Steve was a little concerned he’d hide the whole time. Maybe very concerned.

.oOo.

                “Why are you doing this?” Jamie calls up to his sister from under the tree she’s climbing. She’s already about twenty feet up. She’s like a squirrel. Jamie is certain he’s seen squirrels in the park do what she’s doing less gracefully. Why would his sister want to be a squirrel?

                “Because, oh Kill Joy of mine, it is fun!” She yells down to him.

                “It’s damp and there’s dirt, and moss, and bugs everywhere! We don’t even have a shower! You’re going to die of a tapeworm!”

                “You can’t get tapeworms from climbing trees Dork Face!” Sasha expertly jumps to another branch, grabbing it in both hands. She uses the momentum to swing around the branch and sit on top of it. “Woo!”

                “Sasha! Jamie!” Bucky calls.

                Sasha drops down out of the tree.

                “Hi Mommy.” She says innocently. The sudden movement of her descent shook the tree, drenching Jamie with pine needles and water. Jamie holds his arms out at his sides looking pathetic. His face turns red with fury.

                “Mommy she was climbing the tree and then she jumped down and got me all wet!” Jamie wails. Bucky goes up to him and starts brushing off the pine needles.

                “Why was your coat unzipped?” Bucky grumbles. “Sasha why did you do that?”

                “I didn’t mean to, he was just under me!”

                “Why were you right underneath her?” Bucky asks as he tries to get all the pine needles off Jamie. Sometimes he wonders if his kids got all of their sense from Steve.

                “Because if she fell, she needed someone to catch her!” Jamie shouts. Sasha blinks at him for a second. She smacks him in the arm viciously.

                “Owwie!” Jamie yelps.

                “Sasha!” Bucky grabs her by the arm and pulls her away from her brother so she can’t hit him again. He should have seen this coming, she hits when she’s emotional. “Do not hit your brother! Shame on you!” Bucky scolds. Sasha cringes. She hates those words.

                “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it!” She folds her arms tightly to her chest.

                “Tell Jamie.” Bucky instructs. He lets go of her arm. She immediately hugs her brother.

                “You’re dumb! I won’t fall. Thanks for being there anyway.” She mumbles the last part. Jamie rubs his arm but leans his head against Sasha’s. Bucky rolls his eyes. That’s as good as it gets with them.

                Steve clears his throat from where he stands behind Bucky. He’s got a duffle bag with the modified sniper rifles over his shoulder and Billy in a harness attached to his chest.

                “Hi guys. What’s going on?” He asks, setting down the bag.

                “Nothing…” Sasha lets go of her brother and straitens up. Her father always makes her subconsciously snap to.

                “Alright then.” He looks to Bucky. “Have you told them what we’re doing?”

                “No.” Bucky smiles slyly and glances sideways at his kids. “So you guys want to learn how to do some long range targeting?”

                Sasha buzzes. Jamie nods eagerly.

                “Yes!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been out of internet connection range. It's been a bad time for writing but a great time for family.


	18. Chapter 18

                “Aaahh!” Darcy squawks as she trips over a log. Natasha catches her by the arm before she face-plants into the forest floor. Darcy had pictured a more tame landscape when she volunteered to go set up flags. “Fricken frack frack forrest!” Darcy stumbles to her feet.

                “That’s not what people usually complain about around here.” Clint comments as he ties a blue ribbon on a branch.

                “Oh god! Don’t tell me there are bears!” Darcy cries.

                “Well, yeah. Wolves, and raccoons too but those aren’t really it either.”

                “Well then what is it?” Darcy demands.

                Natasha looks at the map for where they have to go next to put a target up. “They call it Winter Wonderland.” Natasha tells her.

                Darcy looks around. “Not exactly a cheery place.”

                “It’s ironic.” Clint says.

                “Every year during the coldest week of winter, Nick Fury selects the thirty best agents from the alphabet agencies in the United States and sends them here.” Nat continues.

                “Then they fight to the death?”  Darcy asks.

                “No. The Winter Soldier breaks them into two teams. He oversees them while they compete against each other in survival challenges. Then, once he’s picked a winner, he pits the winning team against himself. Every year he sends people home unable to work anything more stressful than a desk job for the rest of their lives.” Natasha finishes. Darcy glances rapidly between her and Clint.

                “And he never gets hurt?” Darcy doesn’t like fifteen against one odds. Natasha gives her a condescending look.

                “If not for Steve, no one was ever going to take him down. Fifteen chumps from the FBI and the CIA can’t even find him, let alone hurt him. The SHIELD agents are a little more capable. But they know who they’re dealing with. The fear does something to them.” Natasha looks very satisfied.

                “Hey, try not to swoon Nat.” Clint rolls his eyes. Natasha pushes his shoulder.

                “You know better than that.” She tells him with a raised eyebrow.

                “Yup! But I still can’t wait to out shoot him today!”

                “Go establish your dominance over that poor, slightly less impressive omega.” Nat mocks.

                “Maybe I’ll pee on you when I’m done.” Clint taunts back. Darcy snorts and tries to stifle laughter.

                “Don’t you dare.”

.oOo.

                 Sasha and Jamie are deadly serious about shooting. Bucky smirks as he watches them carefully examine the fake guns. Fake is a strong word. They are very much real. Bucky had a SHIELD weapons tech work on them so now they shoot specialty made paintballs. They are made out of plastic with a paint center. They’d hurt if someone got hit with one but it wouldn’t b e lethal. They’re not aiming at anyone anyway.

                The radio crackles next to Bucky. He and the kids are lying on a blanket on the cliff they’ve chosen for their sniper’s nest. Bucky picks up the radio.

                “Bucky here. Over.”

 _“We’re done with set up and are on our way back to basecamp_.” Natasha says over the radio. “ _Over_.”

                “Roger that. See you in ten. Over.” Bucky sets down the radio. Sasha has her chin leaned on the palm of her hand.

                “Did it get confusing in the war when people said ‘Roger’ on the radio?” She asks.

                Bucky looks down at the ground and scratches his forehead bashfully. Steve chuckles behind him. He’s watching his family from the comfort of a camping chair with Billy on his lap playing with a stick under his supervision.

                “Yes Honey.” Steve nods. “Mommy’s a little embarrassed about it because they were never talking about me.”

                “What?” Jamie asks. He and Sasha haven’t heard this story before.

                “Well they always called me Captain on the radio. They called Bucky uh…” Steve grins at his mate. “Mrs. Rogers.”

                “Why is that funny?” Sasha raises an eyebrow.

                “Ummm.” Steve tries to not bust up. Bucky mopes on the ground. “Because people call married ladies ‘Mrs’. Bucky and I aren’t technically married and Bucky is definitely not a lady.”

                “But he’s a mommy which is kind of like a lady and you’re mates which is kinda like married.” Jamie questions. Steve scratches the back of his neck, not breaking eye contact with Bucky. Bucky scowls at Steve and narrows his eyes.

                “I guess you’re not wrong.” Steve looks away trying to play innocent. He started the stupid nickname.

                “Rogers!” Bucky barks at him. He loads his gun menacingly. Steve flinches.

                “You wouldn’t shoot me holding Billy would you?” Steve asks with a nervous chuckle.

                “I could hit you in the forehead at nine hundred meters. What makes you think it’d miss at two?” Bucky snarls. If Steve was someone else threatening his baby’s life he’d shoot to kill and think nothing of it. He’s shot Steve before with fake bullets. Billy has ear protection on since they’re going to be shooting. Steve is pushing his luck with this ‘Mrs. Rogers’ shit.

                “Right then Mr. Barnes. I won’t call you my Mrs.” Steve nods. Bucky nods back suspiciously. He adjusts himself to finish his pre-shooting procedures. “Darling.” Steve adds just before Bucky turns away.

                “Kids.” Bucky snaps. He stands up. “Plan’s changed. We’re delaying that sniper training.”

                “Aww!” Jamie moans.

                “Why!” Sasha yells.

                “Because were having a paintball war! Two teams! Steve is team captain of his team. I’m captain of mine!” Bucky declares. He’s turning red in the face.

                “We’re on Mommy’s team!” Sasha yells again.

                “We’ll draft the rest of camp too. The game starts once the draft is finished. It ends once everyone’s been shot in either the head or the body!” Bucky picks up his modified rifle as he talks. He’s going to get that punk good.

                “Come on Buck, I was just playing around.” Steve tries to placate. “This doesn’t need to get violent.”

                “Losing Captain goes by ‘Mrs. Barnes’.” Bucky sneers.

                “You really want to go by your mamma’s name?” Steve can’t help himself from sassing.

                “Nope.” Bucky licks his upper lip. “That’s gonna by your new name when I win.”

                Steve smiles and tips his head. “Okay Buck, will do.” Steve clears his throat and leans back on his heels. “If you win.”

                “Take the baby off and leave him at the camp with somebody who don’t want to play.” Bucky hisses with his jaw jutted forward.

                “Yes Mrs. Rogers, I’ll do as you say mam.”

                Bucky growls and shoulder checks him as he storms passed him. Sasha and Jamie follow. The little girl giggles maniacally as she trots along. Jamie just sighs and gets ready for what’s inevitable.

.oOo.

                “I know none of you are strangers to what battle feels like so the concept of sudden death shouldn’t be unfamiliar for any of you.” Steve tells his line of team members. Tony, Darcy, Jane, and Sam are his crack team.

                “Are you giving us a Cap Speech right now? Because I don’t think this is the time.” Tony tells him.

                “Tony don’t mess with the Cap. His masculinity is on the line.” Darcy scolds.

                “I still don’t personally see why Steve going by Bucky’s last name or Bucky going by Steve’s is a bad thing” Sam interrupts. “It’s not up for discussion right now, I understand that, I’m just saying.”

                “Some things are just sewn into a person.” Steve tells him. “In my generation alphas never took their omega’s last names. Unless they were married, omegas never took their mate’s name either.”

                “But you gave your kids a hyphenated name?”

                “That was our choice to do.” Steve mutters. “Listen we should stop wasting time. Bucky gave us five minutes for moral and then we all die. I think we really need to focus up here because Natasha, Barton, my kids, and especially Bucky are not going to go easy on us.”

                “It’s okay I have a plan.” Tony says while cleaning his ear out with his pinky. “The win conditions are that everyone on the opposite team is hit in the head or body. All we have to do is make it impossible to do that to one of us.”

                “That sounds like cheating.” Steve gives him one of his disapproving Cap looks.

                “More like innovation.” Tony raises an eyebrow. “I’m just going to need a few things.”

Darcy rolls her eyes and pops her hip to one side. “We’re not building an armor suit out of the woods.” She puts her hands on her hips. Tony puts his hands up.

                “Okay then Bucky’s going to kill us all!”

                “Nice attitude.” Sam shakes his head disapprovingly.

                “Nice to know you.”

.oOo.

                “We’re running an offensive version of armed intruder response 18.” Bucky tells his team. The group of them load their paintball guns and strap containers of extra ammo to themselves.

                “Is that SHIELD regulation or Bucky regulation?” Natasha asks.

                “It’s the same thing now. SHIELD just replaced their response 18 with mine.”

                “Awesome.” Clint puts his face mask on. The rest of them pull theirs on too.

                “Let’s make this devastating and final.” Bucky instructs.

                “Okay Mommy.” Sasha almost nods her mask off.

                “One more thing Sweet Pea. Remember when Mommy’s being Winter, don’t call me mommy. It confuses me.”

                “Okay Winter Mamma!”

                “That’s better.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two for flinching! Look at Bucky he's so delicate. He's always had a chip on his shoulder about being manly. Poor baby.


	19. Chapter 19

               Jane runs uphill as fast as she can. The forest floor is blessedly clear of underbrush because of the thick trees overhead. She runs to keep fit. Doing this kind of uphill trekking is no problem for her. Still, her heart feels like it’s about to burst out of her chest from fear. Steve told her that one of the snipers was probably going to try and get a vantage point and pick off anyone who tried to run. Namely her. Jane has no experience with guns or paintball. She knows she’s the weakest link and so does the enemy. She runs faster as she imagines herself in Barton’s sights. Her helmet and a vest just don’t seem adequate to protect her. Steve told her to run for ten minutes before rounding back from another direction. She didn’t tell Steve that when she gets back she plans to run for the observatory and use Bruce as a shield.

.oOo.

                As far as maneuvers Bucky could have chosen go, this one’s mean. Barton is their sniper. He’s in charge of containing their enemy so that two groups of his teammates can flank the enemy in and then slowly draw toward each other. Barton is supposed to stop the enemy from trying to flee from between the vice of his teammates. The problem is Steve was smart and sent one of them running from the start. Now Jane is a good mile away in the woods. The tree cover in that area makes it impossible to spot her. She’s going uphill too, which puts him at a slight disadvantage. He doesn’t have a rifle that will shoot accurately at the distance she’ll be at once he can get a good shot. Well played Steve. That means they’ll have to hunt her down once they’re done with the other four members. Barton can handle that. Fuck these trees though.

.oOo

                Darcy has played paintball many times. She’s even played with tactically minded nut jobs like SHIELD agents. The Winter Soldier and Captain America are on another level from that. Steve knows Bucky so well he already devised a counter attack to the attack Bucky hasn’t launched yet. Steve gave her a very simple job. Move guns. Darcy sits alone in a tent with a tarp over it. Steve opened some of the flaps and had Darcy position four guns so that they are facing outward at all sides. Inside the tent she’s safe from attack. She has to shift her position to a different gun and move it a bit every few minutes. The plan is to make Team Winter Soldier think Team Cap is together inside the tent to make an Alamo type situation. Steve did not use that word, he said something fancy Darcy couldn’t follow. So the Alamo it is! Darcy wishes she had the internet so she could google how that turned out.

.oOo.

                The east flank is Natasha and Sasha. Nat’s on point with Sasha as her second set of eyes and her backup. Sasha is a pretty good shot. She’s on par with the mean SHIELD shooting score. She reminds Natasha of herself at that age. A healthier, happier, loved version of herself. Bucky was pretty clear: Keep Sasha having a good time and not covered in paint. That puts Nat at a disadvantage. Sasha knows she’s holding Nat back. Sasha makes the decision for Natasha. Sasha is there one second then gone the next.

                “Fuck.” Natasha curses as she looks around for the girl.

.oOo.

                The Winter Soldier and Jamie are the west flank. In thirty seconds the five minute grace period Bucky gave the other team will be over and they’ll commence their attack. Their first target if a tent with a tarp over it. Steve sent Jane running. It’s a strange choice but perhaps a smart one. If this goes south, which it will for Team Cap, Jane will give them some extra time. Bucky watches the movement of the guns. It’s almost rhythmic. They’re not in there. Winter is sure of it. It’s probably Darcy in there. That leaves Tony, Sam, and Steve unaccounted for.

                The thirty seconds passes. Bucky signals the east flank. They go to move in. Disaster strikes.

.oOo.

                The wild yop from the woods surprises them all. Tony comes running from his hiding place. Barton, Jamie, and Winter all shoot him at the same time. Tony gets plastered with paint but he keeps running towards them. Darcy open fires from the decoy tent. Jamie and Winter take cover in a grove of trees. This is insane. Barton loses visual on them.

“Shit!” He drops down from his perch to get a new vantage point. He was so busy watching his team he missed the danger to himself. Steve takes him out in a second.

.oOo.

                In the event that their sniper got taken out east and west flank were supposed to meet up. The problem is when Barton lost sight of Winter and Jamie they lost sight of him too.

                Natasha runs to find her remaining team anyway. Darcy open fires at Natasha. The assassin easily avoids being hit. She rips the tarp off and shoots Darcy in the shoulder. Darcy screams.

                “Natasha you whore! Owwiee!” She holds her shoulder. Natasha ignores her and runs to where she saw Winter and Jamie take cover.

                “I can’t find Sasha!” She yells.

                “What!” Winter snaps in a hiss.

                “She bailed! I don’t know where she went!”

                Shots are fired in the distance. Winter bolts towards the sounds. He’s certain that’s Sam or Steve shooting Sasha down. Barton is down he sees. Jamie and Natasha follow him. The Winter Soldier turns and stops them.

                “Jamie go get Jane.” He says firmly.

                “Down!” Natasha yells. The Winter Soldier, Natasha, and Jamie hit the ground as someone approaches from the east.

                Sam takes aim at the three of them. Winter grabs the tarp from the tent Darcy is still moaning in. He pulls it over them to block the spray of paint.

                From behind Sam, Sasha swings out of a tree. She knocks Sam down flat.

                “Gotcha!” She shoots him in the left shoulder.

                “Girl you’re a monkey!” Sam groans as he holds his shoulder.

                “Winter Mama I got them!” She looks around, checking for the two remaining enemy team members. She’s not trained like Bucky is, she doesn’t hear the carefully approaching footsteps.

                “Sasha!” The Winter Soldier runs and tackles his daughter to the ground.

                “Oh come on Buck, I wasn’t going to shoot her.” Steve says honestly.

                Bucky rolls and shoots Steve in the chest for good measure. He protectively holds his daughter.

                Steve looks down at the spot on his chest. “Thanks Buck. You’re a good player.”

                Bucky glares back at him venomously. Natasha flips the tarp back. “So I guess that leaves Jane.”

                The shots surprise them.

.oOo.

                 Jane and Bruce were waiting in the observatory quietly until the ‘blood bath’ was over. Jane handed Bruce the paintball gun and let him do the shooting. Bruce was happy just to look after Billy. He really wasn’t planning on getting involved but then Jane showed up all in a panic and then he just felt obligated.

                “So I guess Team Cap wins?” Bruce suggests with a shrug.


	20. Chapter 20

                Bucky sits staring at the fire. His eyeballs feel like they’re going to melt out of his skull. He’s not feeling particularly social. His senses are still on high alert after the game that ended several hours ago. It’s dark and cold out more than two meters from the fire. His family has bundled up in puffy coats and scrubbed the sparse paint splatter off their skin. Bucky wiped the paint off his children as fast as possible with baby wipes. They’re clean and happy now, Bucky should be able to simmer down too. Bucky is consciously trying hard to relax with his family. They seem to have forgotten all about the drama earlier while Bucky is still feeling the stress he hadn’t registered at the time as The Winter Soldier. He tried to scold Sasha for her insubordination but Steve stopped him from making a big deal out of it. “She’s only eight, Buck. She’s not a soldier.” Steve had said. Bucky begs to differ but Steve put a stop to all discussion over the matter.

                “Grarrrr!” Sasha playfully growls at Billy. Steve put a tarp and a blanket down on the ground so that the toddler could stretch his legs a bit. Bucky set some of his toys out but so far he’s been ignoring them in favor of his family. The twins have been playing with him. It’s their favorite game, ‘Monster’. Sasha sits on one side of the tarp while Jamie sits on the other. Billy runs back and forth between them. He holds his little hands up like claws and bares his teeth.

                “Rraawrr!” Billy yells back to his big sister. Sasha makes a scary monster face and lunges for his belly. Billy squeals and runs to the other side of the tarp. His baby arms flop around as he keeps his balance on the uneven terrain. He trips over something under the tarp but Jamie lunges and catches him.

                “Boo Boo!” Jamie stands him back up. Billy wiggles in his grip to try and get free. He keeps trying to bite him playfully. This little game is familiar. Sasha used to do the same thing at that age.

                “BOOOOOOooo!” Billy howls back like he’s a wolf puppy. Sasha gets up and comes over to sit by them.

                “Booba! You fell?!” Sasha says in disbelief. Billy in quiet surefooted. She kisses the side of the toddler’s head. Bill grunts back and grabs onto her long braid. “Don’t pull Boo Boo.” Billy snaps his teeth at her. She does it back and puts her head on top of his. She wriggles her chin down forcing her brother to bow his head. This is a subconscious show of dominance.

                Steve watches the kids play while Bucky seems to dwell in his own world. Back when he and Bucky would play as kids, before either of them had developed their secondary sex, he used to do the same nuzzling gesture to Bucky. It’s an alpha gesture. Steve’s been cooking for the past half an hour while giving them the occasional fond glance. “Okay the beans are warmed up, the corn is done roasting, let’s make hotdogs.” Steve says to his family. He has a Tupperware container filled with about twenty hot dogs ready to be roasted over the fire. It’s just enough to satisfy the Rogers’ family’s hunger.

               “I don’t want any.” Bucky mutters.

               “Come on Buck, you haven’t eaten all day. I know you’re hungry.” Steve has been kind enough not to use his spoils.

               “Forget it.” Bucky stands up. He goes over and is about to scoop up Billy but Sasha holds him to her chest.

               “Come on Mommy, you always hog him! Can’t we keep him just a few minutes?” She begs. Bucky looks at her and her baby brother. He has been keeping Billy literally close to his chest. Bucky swallows and averts his eyes from his kids.

                “Yeah, of course just…. I’ll be back in a second.” Bucky wipes his nose on the back of his hand and takes off for the dark woods. His family watches him go until he disappears entirely. He’s so quiet it’s like there’s nothing out there at all. Sasha sighs heavily and looks over at her dad.

               “Mommy’s okay right?” She asks.

               “Yeah, Sweet Pea. He’s just not accustom to being um… whatever happened. Let’s just cook dinner and then I’ll go try and work it out.”

.oOo.

                Bucky really doesn’t care that he lost their contest in the grand scheme of things. Even if he detests ‘Mrs. Rogers’ in public he thinks it’s almost endearing in private. It’s not like Steve is going to draw up legal documents. That would be petty. Steve is a shit head but he’s rarely petty. He’s not upset about the loss but he is consumed with worry.

                The Winter Soldier did not perform up to his standard today. He was sloppy and inefficient. Logically he knows that part of the problem came from daughter’s lack of loyalty to the plan. But that’s not the heart of the trouble. The trouble is with him. When his children were there, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t completely focus on his goal. Today was just a game of paintball, but what if they were in a situation where his children were in direct danger and he couldn’t focus? If it’s only one or two attackers The Winter Soldier would rip their flesh from their bones before he let them hurt his children and be successful doing it. But if there was a coordinated team with a dozen or more enemy agents Winter would have to be at the top of his game to take them out without taking damage or letting them get to his children. What if he couldn’t focus then? It doesn’t matter how vicious he gets if he’s not thinking tactically. He can crush and shoot as much as he likes, but if he was to let just one target get passed him while he’s wiping blood out of his eyes that could be the end of his family.

                Bucky sits down on a large root and leans against a tree trunk. He closes his eyes and pictures his children’s shooting scores and all the things he’s taught them about fighting. He’s been teaching them combat skills since they were three years old. Steve doesn’t even know when Bucky started doing it exactly. Bucky won’t ever tell him. The way Bucky saw it, they should learn as young as possible. No one’s expecting a child to have those kind of skills. If they were captured they’d have an advantage because of that. As a last resort they could always defend themselves, that’s what Bucky wanted for them.

                His children against the world’s best killers because he couldn’t protect them. Sasha trying to defend her brother. Sasha taking a hit for Jamie. Sasha dying for Jamie. She would do it and think she’s being like her daddy. She would die and Jamie would try and save her and he wouldn’t be able to. They’d kill him too while he was still trying to protect her. Then they’d go for his baby.

                Bucky rubs his eyes with the heel of his hand and The Weapon. He huffs until he’s hyperventilating, or he would be if it was possible for him to do that. He groans recognizing that he’s starting to have an actual panic attack. The flush of enhanced adrenaline, racing thoughts about his family, and the sudden need to kill all perceived threats shoots through him.  The Winter Soldier tenses from his toes to his fingers. He grits his teeth to try and ward off the images that torment him. His memories from the horrors he’s committed mix with images of his children.

                The Winter Soldier stands up and smacks his head against the tree. He squeezes his eyes closed and manages to make the screams come out as only whimpers.

.oOo.

                Steve turns the hotdogs over the fire. They had to find sticks with lots of branches so they could roast them all at about the same time. Each one of the three family members has two branches covered in hotdogs. Sasha has Billy sitting between her and her brother. Billy plays with a plastic hotdog that comes out of a plastic bun. It’s a part of a play set they brought with them. Steve thinks it makes him feel like he’s doing what they’re doing. Billy isn’t so easily fooled. He’s a bright enough baby to know that he’s being duped. He starts to whine and shake Sasha.

                “Boo Boo. Whatcha doin?” Sasha questions. He still needs a little prompting to use his words.

                “Hotdog?” He asks, he starts turning red in the face like he’s about to cry. “I want Hot Doggy!”

                Steve considers Billy. He could probably handle holding a stick with a hotdog on it. “I think we can give Buddy a stick and a hotdog.” Steve says. “Just make sure he doesn’t get too close to the fire or touch the hotdog.”

                “Okay!” Sasha picks up one of the sticks they sharpened and sticks one of her hotdogs on it. “Here Boo Boo, you have this.” She hands it to Billy. Billy takes it and shakes it about. He seems satisfied. He holds the hotdog about two feet too far away from the fire to cook. None the less, he seems contented that he’s doing the same thing as his family. Sasha and Jamie giggle at their little brother. He doesn’t seem to understand that he’s being funny so he giggles back. 

                Steve should go check in on Bucky. He leans the sticks up against well placed rocks and digs their bases into the dirt so they stay up. “Watch my hotdogs for a second. I’m going to go check on Mommy.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shameless baby talk. It was brought to my attention that we have yet to see the kids play together. I thought this was a good opportunity. The kids really like their little brother but Bucky has some issues with sharing him. Bucky likes to take Billy with him when he's panicking like he's a teddy-bear. You know, that he gave birth to. That makes sense.   
> -the trollop


	21. Chapter 21

               Steve doesn’t have to work hard to find Bucky. When he does he wishes he’d gone looking sooner. “Buck!” He charges over to him and pulls him away from the tree. “What are you doing!?” Steve demands. He grips onto Bucky’s arms and shakes him. A trail of blood runs down Bucky’s forehead from the spot where he’s scuffed the skin off. Blood smears and little scrapes surround the roughly circular wound.

               Bucky looks up at Steve from under his lashes. All of a sudden he feels guilty. Steve sighs figuring he won’t get a response from the ashamed assassin. He licks his sleeve and dabs gently at the blood to try and see how bad it is. Bucky keeps his eyes on the ground. Steve glimpses the tree over his shoulder. The bark has been knocked off the tree in the area he must have been banging his head. There is a blood smear on the tree too. “Was it a panic attack?” Steve asks softly. It’s hard for him to stay mad at Bucky when he’s so low.

               “Yes.” Bucky says with a swallow. His brows are thoroughly creased together. “I didn’t like the kids being targeted today.” He’s become more forthright with Steve over the years. What used to take hours for Bucky to divulge now takes only a few minutes.

               “I was afraid this might happen. You were the one who suggested it so I thought it might be okay. Oh Baby Doll, you really messed yourself up. It’s been so long since you did this. I thought you were done hurting yourself.” Steve strokes Bucky’s temple with his thumb lovingly.

               “It was the things in my head. I had to make them stop.” Bucky peeks up at Steve’s face. “I’ll be fine. This will be gone in a day.” Bucky leans up and gently kisses Steve. Steve presses his lips back to his quickly and pulls him into his arms.

               “What about the kids? What are we going to say to them?” He rubs Bucky’s back.

               “Tell them whatever. Say nothing, it doesn’t matter.” Bucky rests his cheek against Steve’s shoulder.

                In the distance the children start screaming.

.oOo.

                Bucky and Steve run as fast as they can. They push thirty miles an hour on the open terrain. Bucky curses himself for wandering so far from his babies. They haven’t stopped screaming. Now other voices are coming from camp too. Bucky comes skidding into the camp first yelling, “What happened!?”

                The rest of the camp is all gathered around the children a good distance away from the fire. Sasha and Jamie are sobbing in Natasha and Clint’s arms. Darcy, Tony, and Jane are standing away from Bruce and Sam who are gathered around William. The youngest child is moaning quietly with big tears rolling down his flushed face. Bruce has the emergency medical box out.

                Bucky and Steve rush to Bruce and Sam’s side. Bucky’s breath stops and Steve can barely process what he’s seeing. Sam and Bruce are carefully examining and treating Billy’s right hand. His tiny thumb, palm, and finger tips have been burned black. The destroyed flesh has cracked down to the muscle tissue underneath it. “Oh fuck! No! No,no,no,no, no!” Bucky gets down on his knees so he can stroke Billy’s head. “Oh Baby…” Billy whines to him and nuzzles his mother’s hand for comfort. Bucky is starting to tear up. Steve is biting his lip and breathing heavily through his nose. He turns and bolts to the trees where he throws up.

                “Let’s move him so he’s in your lap.” Bruce suggests. Bucky nods eagerly. Bucky gently picks his son up and pulls him so his head is resting against his stomach. Bruce has Sam gingerly holding Billy’s hand up. Bruce digs in the emergency box for a sterile cloth. He drenches it in cold water then rings it out and makes sure it’s not too cool. He sets it over Billy’s hand. “I already called for a helicopter they say they’ll be here in twenty minutes.”

                “Are you kidding!? Why that long!?” Bucky shrieks. “Why aren’t you putting ice on it?! Can’t you do something else!?” Bucky’s voice cracks.

                “I can’t put ice on it, it could cause hypothermia. This is the best thing to do until an EMT can get here.” Bruce says in a calm, measured voice.

                Steve recovers from the shock fast. He goes over and kneels down in front of the twins. They’re running out of steam. They’ve never been this horrified in their lives. They’ve never seen anything like it. None of the children have ever been badly hurt before aside from appendicitis. Steve and Bucky get hurt sometimes but they always come home bandaged and healing quickly.

                “What happened?” He asks for the second time that night. This time there is no panic or frustration, just mechanical inquiry. Keeping his head together is crucial in this situation. Bucky is about to lose it and he knows he’s got to be the one to hold him together when that happens.

                “One of my hotdogs got burned. It fell off the stick into the fire pit. It didn’t look hot!” Sasha takes rapid breaths between her words. “He was so fast! He just got up and reached right in to grab it. It was so hot! We grabbed him and pulled him back but his hand hit an ember in the ash!” She cries, “It stuck to him!”

                “I knocked it off him.” Jamie says weakly. He holds out the back of his hand which looks red.

                “You did good.” Steve assures them. “You didn’t do anything wrong. He _is_ fast. I shouldn’t have left you alone without help. To be honest I’m not sure if I could have done any better in this situation.” Steve goes to the first aid box and gets what he needs for Jamie’s minor burn. “Let’s fix you up too.”

                “Is Boo Ba going to be okay?” Sasha asks with a squeak.

                “I think so Sweet Pea.”

                Bucky doesn’t look so sure.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're firing on all cylinders here at Trollop Production Inc. Maybe that's an inappropriate expression right now... hmm phrasing. Updating two stories at once is hard work. Thanks for all the amazing comments! It's really been a treat to check my inbox and find so many responses. You guys really get into this and it makes me so happy. Sorry this is kind of a cliff hanger and it's short. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	22. Chapter 22

                The EMT gets there in fifteen minutes as promised. They’re SHIELD and they know what’s going on. To no one’s surprise among them is none other than Ingrid. The midwife/nurse practitioner always shows up when the children she’s delivered are in pain. She’s thorough like that.

                Bucky holds Billy’s left arm still by holding his hand. Billy keeps trying to reach over to his right hand and touch it. He’s been crying and fussing for the past five minutes. Bucky thinks it’s a little strange he was so subdued at first. Maybe he’s coming out of shock, he thinks.

                “Alright, everything is going to be okay. Can I see his hand?” The EMT asks. Ingrid stays to his side, silently judging him. She pats Steve on the back.

                “Careful.” Bucky tells him. His tone is faintly hostile.

                The EMT pulls the cloth off of Billy’s hand. Billy seems relieved. Everyone else stares.

                Minutes ago his hand was so chard that he may have needed an amputation. Now what was once burnt flesh is a thin layer of flaky, dead skin over brand new pink skin. The burn is completely gone. Bucky looks up at Steve with his mouth open. His lower lip trembles slightly. Steve slaps his hand over his mouth. Sam lets Billy’s hand slide out of his grasp. Billy celebrates by licking his palm.

                “No Baby, don’t do that just yet.” Bucky stops him from putting his mouth on his hand. The baby whines again. “Shhhh. It’s alright.”

                “What’s going on?” Sasha asks from where she can’t see. Steve doesn’t know how to respond. This is amazing. This is such a relief. This is a miracle. He had no idea.

                “He’s all better.” Steve responds incredulously.

                “What!?” Jamie and Sasha shriek. They pull away from Nat and Barton. Steve puts his hands on their shoulders to hold them in place by him. He doesn’t want Billy getting crowded by everyone.

                “Oh Boo Ba, you fixed it!” Sasha shouts excitedly. Billy spots her and smiles back happily.

                “It seems he did.” Bruce adjusts his glasses.

                “How long ago did the injury occur?” The EMT asks.

                “Fifteen to twenty minutes ago. I called just a minute after it happened.” Bruce tells him. “Check the time of the call for the exact time.”

                “Well then.” Ingrid claps her hands together. “There seems to be no need for you and yours.” She says to the bewildered EMT. “Go and wait in the chopper until I am finished.”

                “I think I should still-.”

                “No. Be gone before I remove you.” Ingrid firmly commands. The EMT picks his kit up and looks at the people gathered around the baby. Steve recognizes that look as the ‘Fucking Super Soldiers’ look that SHIELD agents get.

                “Thank you.” Steve tells him for good measure. The EMT nods.

                “I’ll just write up the report while I wait.” He goes to the helicopter where the rest of the emergency team is waiting for directions.

                Bucky leans down and kisses Billy’s forehead. Bruce stands up and puts his hands in his pockets. Sam is still sitting next to Bucky. He leans back on his hands.

                “Now look what you did Buddy, you got us all worked up and you were just gonna fix it without us. You know that’s not good for people’s blood pressure right? Or is that also something you don’t need to worry about?” Sam looks up at Steve. “He really is your kid.”

                “Yes he most certainly is, but even I can’t do that.” Steve shakes his head. He looks to Bucky. “He heals faster than both of us put together.”

                Bucky pulls Billy up so that he’s standing in his lap. Bucky hugs him around the middle. Billy turns his head and nuzzles his forehead into Bucky’s nose and cheek. Bucky finally smiles.

                “He is both of us put together.”

                “He certainly is.” Ingrid affirms. “I think it might be appropriate to take a few blood samples so that we can look for the source of this.”

                “Is that really necessary?” Steve asks with a frown.

                “I wouldn’t suggest it unless I thought it was. A healing factor like this could mean future health problems down the line. Medical science has never encountered anyone so young with the ability to heal so fast. I’m worried about how this will affect his future growth. The only people who can heal like this are Wade Wilson and Wolverine. Wilson got his healing factor from Wolverine through experimentation. We don’t know anything about Wolverine’s adolescence. We have no basis for comparison so we will have to find our own answers. Besides, being proactive never hurts.” Ingrid explains. Steve and Bucky meet eyes again. Bucky trusts Ingrid, she’s never done anything that wasn’t in his and his children’s best interest. Steve trusts her too but he’s more worried about what needles going into Billy will do to Bucky.

                “It’s alright with me.” Bucky answers. Steve thinks for a second.

                “You want to do this now?” He asks Ingrid.

                “If you please.” Ingrid tells him.

                “Alright.” Steve looks at Bucky. “Let me take him over to the chopper so Ingrid can get her sample. Bucky you stay here with Sasha and Jamie.” He looks at the rest of the group. “And you all should go back to dinner.” Cap's orders, everyone follows.

                Bucky gives Steve a stern look when he gives Billy over. Billy is happy to be held by his father though, Bucky can’t argue. He know what Steve’s doing. He turns away from him and walks to his older children.

                “Let’s finish the hotdogs I guess…” Bucky grumbles as he ruffles the twin’s hair.

                “Mommy I don’t want hotdogs.” Jamie complains. Bucky can’t say he’s surprised.

                “Daddy made corn and beans too. We’ll eat those and some snack bars, okay?”

                “That sounds good.” Sasha hugs onto her mother’s side. “What happened to your face?” She asks curiously.

                “I fought a bear.” Bucky tells her as if he’s completely serious. Jamie and Sasha sit down on the log they’d been perched on earlier. Neither of them questions him. They look shocked and still slightly frightened. They could use a laugh. Bucky scoffs at his kids. He smiles more to one side of his face than the other. “Really guys? I tripped on a root.” The twins looks at him and sputter before giggling quietly.

.oOo.

                The family curls up together that night. Billy is curled up on Bucky’s chest like a cat and the twins are on Steve’s side. Steve has an arm around Bucky’s shoulder. He rests his temple on the top of his mate's head. Billy is out like a light. The twins quietly snuffle in their sleep. Sasha and Jamie very good at cuddling together. Sometimes they curl up together at home just for the hell of it.

                “Hey Buck?” Steve asks quietly. He’s not 100% sure Bucky’s awake.

                “Yeah?” Bucky presses closer against him somehow.

                “I know you really wanted to get away from the world and everything but… would you mind terribly if we go home in the morning? I don’t think the kids are such big fans of cooking on the fire anymore.”

                “We’re going the fuck home at first light.” Bucky tells him. Steve sighs appreciatively.

.oOo.

                They go home and compromise by ‘camping’ in the living room of the common area. They set the same tents up and everything. Tony says screw it and stays in his suite happily. Steve cooks them food on the stove. No one gets burned. Bucky still doesn’t turn on the internet or the TV. They watch movies and avoid outside contact. On Thanksgiving Natasha comes up to Bucky and looks him in the eyes.

                “I’ve searched every news source out there, they don’t know about your children.” She tells him. Bucky visibly decompresses. He hangs his head and nods. Natasha hands him a plate of food. He takes it from her and bites his lip. Natasha can see he’s a bit misty eyed.

                “Thank you Natasha.”

                “You’re welcome.”


	23. Chapter 23

                Thanksgiving dinner is a busy affair. Most of the Avenger’s friends come by at some point during the evening. Charles decides not to stop by when he finds out that Rouge and Remy might be there with their family. It’s broken Charles’ heart to stay away during the holiday but he’s staying resolute to his deception. Remy and Rouge call and cancel at the last minute because their second daughter, Rowan, just got diagnosed with chicken pox. Steve cooks enough food for twelve super soldiers. The rest of the guests help him too but Steve is undoubtedly the head chef.

                “Back when we were so poor we couldn’t afford to heat our apartment we still had awesome Thanksgiving dinners.” Bucky tells his babies. He and his three kids are sitting on a couch after eating an enormous amount of food. Bucky feels like he’s three months pregnant he’s so full. Billy and Sasha lean against each other’s sides while Billy climbs all over them and his mother. He’s the only one who didn’t gorge themselves on dinner.

                “How?” Jamie asks as he plays with Billy. Billy hops down from the couch and runs around it to burn off some energy. Bucky smiles at his child fondly.

                “You know, scrounged up simple ingredients. Daddy made it all from scratch. Neighbors gave us ingredients in return for the food he made. Steve was the best cook in the whole neighborhood.” Bucky tells them. Steve sits down in a lounge chair next to the couch his family is sitting on.

                “I think you’re exaggerating Buck.” He says bashfully.

                “I think you’re too modest.” Bucky leans over the end of the couch, Steve meets him in the middle for a kiss.

                Jamie and Sasha are so used to their parents being affectionate that PDA doesn’t register with them. Their parents make no effort to hide how passionately in love they are. Jamie is proud of that. Sasha boasts about them often. Her favorite jab is, ‘Your parents don’t love each other like my parents do!’ It works on everyone except Jamie. She did accidentally say that to him once. They both wound up laughing hysterically over it.

                “ _Sergeant Barnes, since you have been informed of the media’s ignorance about your children, would you care to receive your email_?”JARVIS asks. Bucky tries to think of a reason the AI is interested in his email. He’s never informed him that he has a message before.

                “Is it something important?” Bucky asks. He gets up and goes over to the coffee table where a Starkpad is sitting. He picks it up and JARVIS immediately sends his email to the screen.

                “ _There is a message from Jamie and Sasha’s teacher. I thought you might be interested._ ” The AI explains. Bucky flicks down through the emails. Mostly his mail is coupons and updates from the charities he donates to. Two days ago he got an email from Mrs. Holland.

                **Dear Families,**

**I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break at home. When we come back we are going to begin having holiday crafts fun in class! I would like parent volunteers to come help run the craft stations on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Please let me know if you are interested in coming in at 12:00 to help us out.**

**-Sincerely Mrs. Holland**

“Did she have to write in comic sans? That’s so tacky.” Bucky says under his breath. “Hey Stevie, you wanna come with me and help the kids with some crafts at school?”

                “What?” Jamie asks. Sasha gets up and runs after Billy to tickle him and assert her dominance. Billy might be an alpha too, which means she’s particularly interested in showing she’s in charge in a playful way.

                “Your teacher wants volunteers to come in and help do crafts or something. I’m going to volunteer.” Bucky tells Jamie.

                “Um Mommy… you’re terrible at crafts.” Jamie tells him with a frightened expression on his face. Bucky has almost burned up the suite baking Playdough, broken markers in half, made birthday cakes look like they came out the backend of a cow, and other such disasters. Bucky turns a little pink.

                “Well that’s why Daddy should come too.” He insists. Steve chuckles at him.

                “Okay, okay. Yes, I’ll go with you.”

                While this is going on, Sasha has cornered her brother over behind the TV. “Ah ha I got you!” Billy looks around for an exit. Sasha gets down onto the carpet on her knees. She leans forward and bares her teeth and growls playfully. Billy growls back at her with his lips pursed. He searches for his exit out of the corner. The game is no fun if he’s trapped. Billy darts to Sasha’s left. She giggles and blocks him. Billy goes to the right and gets snagged. Sasha snatches up Billy by the feet and picks him up so he dangles. Billy doesn’t approve.

                “Annnhhgg!” He moans.

                “What the matter? You don’t like being upside down?” Sasha taunts.

                “Nooooooo!” Billy screams. That catches Steve and Bucky’s attention.

                “Shush Boo Ba!” Billy keeps chanting no. He swings his little fist and kicks so hard Sasha can barely hold him. “Stop it!” Sasha sets him down and curls around him, trying to completely encapsulate him. She makes a mean face right in front of him. “EEEENNNNNNNHHH!” Billy yells. Steve stands up and goes over to his children.

                “Sasha leave him alone he doesn’t want to play.” He tells her sternly. Sasha reluctantly lets go of Billy. As hard as she tries to be the alpha, she still can’t compete with her father. Billy wiggles away from her. He snarls at her with a pouty frown that is all his mother’s. Sasha leans forward and pokes him in the tummy. Steve shakes his head at Sasha.

                “Give it a rest.” He orders. Sasha frowns and looks from her baby brother to her father.

                “I was just playing…” She leans forward to pat Billy on the head.

                 Billy swats her hand.

                “Owww!” Sasha yelps and holds her wrist. “Mean Boo Ba!” She stands up and stomps away. She goes and hides in her room away from her family. Steve lets her while the family watches a movie. Sometimes it’s better to just let her sulk. Sasha doesn’t come out to join them that night. Bucky goes in to check on her before bed. She tells him she’s tired and not to worry. She hides her swollen, black and blue wrist. It's almost twice it's size but it's not broken. It heals by morning. 

.oOo.

                Steve gets a call as he and Bucky are about to take the kids to school that Monday. He and Bucky are supposed to go volunteer that day.

                “This is Captain Rogers.” Steve answers the call from SHIELD medical, dreading what he might be told.

                “Captain, I’m glad we got a hold of you. I’m sorry it’s taken a few days to get back. Our results were… confusing. We needed to run a variety of tests.”

                “Fair enough. It was a holiday, we weren’t in the mood for medical drama anyway.” Steve reassures him.

                “Yeah no kidding. Um, I have good news for you. At least I think this constitutes good news. I’d like it if you came down so I can explain these results to you. I have some visuals that I think will make my point better than I could with words alone.”

                Steve rubs his brow. He looks over his shoulder at Bucky who is on their bed putting on his socks. Steve puts the phone to his chest while he talks to Bucky. “Buck do you mind taking the kids in by yourself? The lab results are back and they want to talk to me in person. I’d like to go now, if that’s okay.”  

                “Go ahead.” Bucky doesn’t make eye contact. He doesn’t want to even think about labs let alone be in them. Steve was wise not to offer to take Bucky along. Bucky trusts Steve to tell him anything he needs to know and spare him the anxiety inducing trip to a whitewashed hell.

                Steve nods slightly to his mate and puts the phone back to his ear. “I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

.oOo.

                The kid is nice, Steve will give him that. Still, he looks like he’s seventeen. Steve learns that he actually is seventeen by chatting while they walk to the lab.

                “Yup, I’m just one of the many geniuses SHIELD gives tedious, uninteresting assignments that we are grossly overqualified for. Not this time though. This time I’m out of my league. Usually I’d send this kind of stuff to Professor Charles Xavier but in all likelihood he’s dead.” Rick, this geek’s name is Rick, tells Steve. His body language suggests he's over-caffeinating.

                “So do I get to know what’s going on now?” Steve asks. Rick sits down on a stool in front of a lab bench with a selection of microscopes set up. Each one has a slide on it.

                “Yes of course! Sorry I rant. Here look at the furthest one over there.” Rick jabs his finger at it. Steve bends over and looks into the eye piece. Under the microscope is a sample of what he takes to be cells. There are large purplish blobs surrounded by smaller lighter colored blobs.

                “I see. Is this my son’s blood?”

                “No it is not. That is a regular old human’s blood. You’re looking and red and white blood cells at the moment. Notice the little red cells, the smaller ones, have no nucleus like the big ones. Those big ones are lymphocytes. They more or less run the immune system. Now look at the next slide.” Steve does as he says. The first thing he notices is that the cells actually look beefier. The rings are thicker on the small blobs and the white blood cells look monstrous compared to the other slide.

                “That’s your blood.” Rick explains. Steve looks up from the microscope.

                “I didn’t realize SHIELD was allowing my samples to be tested.” Steve says disapprovingly. He wouldn’t have said no, he just would have liked to have been informed.

                “I asked for special permission. I thought you wouldn’t mind.” He shrugs and cringes. “Sorry.”

                “That’s alright.”

                “So the deal with your cells is that you heal ridiculously fast and are generally hardier all around. That’s because your cells duplicate at four times the rate of a normal human cell. And when they replicate, they don’t do it sloppy like our cells. Your cells are perfect copies. That’s why you stay so healthy and don’t age and stuff. You just have stronger DNA than the rest of us. Now look at the next slide.” Steve does. His eyes widen.

                There are at least five times the number of white blood cells. Each one of the cells is big like his and appears to have two dark spots in it. The outside of the white blood cells have little branches on them. The red blood cells look fairly normal but like his.

                “This is my son’s blood.”

                “Yes it is. As fantastic as your cells are, William’s are that and  a bag of chips. His cells divide like yours but even faster. That means he’s replacing damaged tissue in minutes instead of weeks. That part is amazing alone! I have no idea how his growth is being kept in check with his cells doing what they’re doing. I think it might have something to do with that secondary nucleus.”

                “His cells have what now?” Steve’s brow furrows.

                “Um, each of his cells has two brains. I ran some tests and he still has the regular number of chromosomes they’re just broken into two separate groups apparently. That’s all great, wait until you get a load of this.” He clicks on a Starkpad and shows Steve a picture. It looks like a bunch of glowing green hair in a ball on a black background. In the center of each green thing is a big blue dot. “This is a regular human’s white blood cell. That green shape is the cytoskeleton of the cell. Basically that’s what holds the cell together. If that gets destroyed, your cell is toast. The blue thing is the nucleus. So then there’s this…” He clicks and another picture pops up. Now the string is blown everywhere into a big green fog. “That’s after irradiating the cells. They die obviously. Now here’s what happens when we use the same radiation on your cells…” He clicks to the picture. “You see some of the cells have been breached but a few have survived. Those will grow back. Fast in your case. I upped the radiation dosage until comparable damage was done to your cells.” The next picture shows cells that look like the normal cells after being irradiated. “Now here’s the best part.” He takes a deep breath. He clicks the next picture. This picture looks exactly like the first yarn ball picture but there are two blue spots in each yarn ball. “Ta Da!” Rick holds out his arms with a manic grin. Steve looks from him to the screen.

                “I don’t understand, it’s just Billy’s cells?”

                “You’re 100% right it is! Here’s the thing though-!” He points at the screen. “I used the same radiation dosage as the one I used on your cells on the ancestors of these cells.” He clicks on the next picture. Most of the cells are broken but it looks like one or two survived. “This was them after the first round of radiation.” Steve looks from Rick to the screen rapidly. Rick clicks backward. “This picture is of Billy’s cells after being hit with the same dosage of radiation again after being allowed to recover from the first dose! They are completely unharmed!” Rick smacks his hand against the table. Steve remains speechless. 

                “So I got excited. I started testing other ways to kill cells. Every single time the first try does damage and the second try does none! All that happened was a single cell division of the surviving cells and then they became impervious to the same sort of harm. I don’t know how that works on a larger scale. Maybe it will only work on a cellular level, again I don’t know. But-!” He flips back and forth between the pictures. “Literally, what doesn’t kill him makes him stronger.” Rick leans back in his chair.

 

.oOo.

Bonus! Someday William Barnes Rogers will grow up to become this person! Found this on Tumblr. Boo Ba what did you do?

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just dropped some science up in here! I thought about this while freezing my toes off at the bus stop. I took cell biology last year in college. The process I describe here is simple cell staining and florescent microscopy. I did both of those things in lab. Too bad not with fancy super soldier stuff! Next up Bucky makes Christmas ornaments. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	24. Chapter 24

                Bucky signs in as a visitor at 12:00 like Mrs. Holland requested. He emailed her two days ago and told her he and his mate wanted to come in. Bucky went with the casual version of his ‘War Hero’ disguise and Steve is going as the guy from 7/11 again. Bucky walks into the classroom wearing casual clothes and his lower face mask. His hair is pulled back in a ponytail. Three dozen sets of curious eyes pinpoint on him the second he opened the door. His children are up towards the front of the class. They wave energetically to their mother. Bucky waves back once.

                “Everyone this is Mr. Grant. Is that what you’d like us to call you?” Mrs. Holland squeezes around the tightly packed desks over so she can shakes Bucky’s hand.

                “James is better actually.” Bucky doesn’t want him and Steve getting confused. He sure as hell isn’t going by Mrs. Rogers that’s for certain.

                “Okay then, we’ll call you James. Class I’m going to go talk to James while you finish your math and coloring page. In fifteen minutes those of you who are done can come do a craft station with James.” Mrs. Holland announces. Mrs. Holland gestures towards a table that looks like a kidney bean. In the center is a big chair while the outside is surrounded by tiny, third-grader chairs.

                “I take it that’s my chair.” Bucky gestures to the center.

                Mrs. Holland breaks into phony obnoxious laughter. “Mmmhmm, that’s right. This is going to be your station. You’ll be helping them make Christmas ornaments.” She goes over to the cupboards behind the bean table and takes out some supplies. “We have these little drawings for the kids to cut out and color.” She holds up a stack of papers with bells and trees and such. “So there’s that. They’re going to use these…” She reaches up for a big bin of crayons. The thing must weight ten pounds. She struggles to get it off the top shelf. Bucky intercedes and takes it out easily. “Thanks! I wish the lower shelves were big enough for that bin. Where was I? Ornaments.” She waves her finger and then shuffles to a bag by the wall. She takes out bags with approximately enough white Styrofoam balls for everyone to make an ornament. “So you’re going to cover these with glue then roll them around in that box of glitter and stick the drawings to it. The glitter gets a little messy so I’d prefer if you did that part for them.”

                Bucky stares at the box of glitter wondering what he did to deserve this. Finger painting. Why couldn’t it have been finger painting? Glitter is the most evil of all craft supplies. It’s like herpes, a little gets on you and then you can’t get rid of it. Sasha’s bedroom carpet is so saturated with this stuff that it almost looks like it came with glitter in it.

                “So is my mate going to be helping me or…?” Bucky hopes maybe Steve will take this burden for him. Mrs. Holland blinks twice.

                “No he’s going to help the kids make paper Santa faces. Is that okay with you?” She asks with a certain glimmer in her eye. Like she’s judging him for being a grown man that can’t handle a box of glitter.

                “That’s fine.” Bucky answers immediately. “I was just wondering if we were both going to have to squeeze in the center of that table.” Bucky dismisses.

                “Oh! No, no, no that’s not necessary. He’s going to work on the floor next to you. When do you suppose he’ll be here, by the way?”

                “Anytime. He had a doctor’s appointment. Must have run late.” God Bucky hopes that’s not for the wrong reasons. He desperately hopes that a long winded scientist is just explaining that Billy is normal and fine.

.oOo.

                Five minutes later, Steve still hasn’t shown up. Bucky is trying to smother these foam balls evenly with glue and quickly discovering that there is no way to set these things down once they have glue on them. None of the kids have finished coloring their little corny drawings yet and Bucky has four glue covered balls in his hands.

                Finally he gets back-up in the form of Sasha. She darts over to the craft station the second that she’s given the okay. “What are you doing?” She asks her mother with an amused expression that seems at his expense.

                “I’m waiting for them to be done so we can roll these in glitter.” Bucky tries to sound patient and in control. Sasha bites her lip.

                “Do you want help?” She offers with that same look. Bucky really has no options.

                “No Sasha, color your drawings.” It’s either that or show weakness.  Sasha sits down in an empty chair.

                “Is that your mommy or your daddy?” One of the kids asks Sasha.  He has something smeared under his nose, Bucky notes.

                “He’s my mommy. He’s a male omega.” Sasha explains as she attacks the coloring project.

                “If he has brown hair why do you have blonde hair?” The boy asks again. The child snuffles and wipes his face.

                “Because my daddy has blond hair and so did my grandma and grandpa.”

                “I like your colors.” The boy says as he leans over to inspect Sasha’s coloring. Its leaps and bounds better than his. A little girl sitting next to Sasha who has been talking about horses with her friend since she sat down looks over at Sasha and the boy.

                “Eew! Dylan do you like Sasha?” She whispers far too loudly for Bucky not to hear. Dylan turns crimson.

                “No!” He insists. “She’s grodie!” Dylan scoots away from Sasha. The vicious little girls keep laughing.

                “Okay!” Bucky interjects before this gets ugly. “Is anybody ready for the glue ball?” The little horse loving bitch raises her hand. So does the girl’s friend a second later.

                “Me!”

                “Me too!”

                “Let me then…” Bucky isn’t sure what to do now. He shuffles the balls in his hands. This is the moment he dreaded. He chooses one of the glue balls to drop down into the red glitter swamp. The three slimy balls in the gloved hand of The Weapon shift. Bucky accidentally drops one, then two, into the box.

                “Shoot…” He hisses. Sasha shrugs.

                “Just roll um around now.”  She suggests. Bucky tries this and discovers it works. This is actually going much better than he thought it would. He gradually shifts the ball so it gets glitter on all of it. His hand is messy and the black, latex glove specially made for the weapon is probably going to have to be replaced, but he thinks this is a win all the same. Once Bucky is satisfied that the glue ball is now a glitter ball he moves onto the next one.

                “Why is it taking so long?” The horse bitch’s friend asks, like she has something better to be doing.

                “Shut up.” Sasha growls defensively.

                “Sasha, enough of that.” The last thing Bucky needs is his daughter getting aggressive. “Please, just give me a minute.” He says to Horse Bitch and Co. Bucky is trying really hard not to just dump the glitter swamp on the heads of those two.

                Steve comes through the door with a backpack over his shoulder. He looks a little flustered. He goes over to Bucky and kisses him on the temple.

                “Hey?” Bucky looks at him concernedly.

                “Hi!” Steve says so only Bucky can hear. “I’m sorry I’m late I wound up talking to a lot of people and I-.” He waves his hand. “It’s a long story.”

                “Is Billy okay?” Bucky asks, that’s the only thing he cares about.

                “Yes. Billy is perfectly healthy.” Steve says firmly.

                “Oh good you’re here!” Mrs. Holland notices, she sounds stressed.  “I was worried.”

                “Sorry, I try to be more dependable than this.” Steve shrugs. “Important things came up.”

                “Of course.” She nods understandingly. “We’re about to go to lunch and recess. The kids will be gone for an hour. You can stay here or go get lunch with them.” She offers. Sasha leans over the table to whisper to her mother. “Can you please stay here?” 

                Bucky thinks that’s a little strange but he’ll respect her wishes. “Okay sure we can get lunch later.”

                “Actually I packed us lunch.” Steve tells him. Bucky nods towards Steve while still looking at Sasha. “Or that.”

                “Then we’ll be having lunch together.” Mrs. Holland tells them.

                “That’s great. I wanted to talk to you both anyway.” She says. The bell rings for recess. The kids get up excitedly and huddle over by the door in something which might have been intended to be a line.

                “I’ll see you after lunch.” Mrs. Holland opens the door so that the third graders can go running outside to burn some energy. Bucky notice that Sasha and Jamie meet up and seem to be discussing something serious while the rest of the children swarm around the side of the building to go to the playground. Jamie glances over at the window. Sasha sees his look and seems to agree to move their conversation somewhere else. Somewhere out of sight. Bucky doesn’t like that one bit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so stinking sick. Bleck.
> 
> -The Trollop


	25. Chapter 25

Two Years Ago

                The second time Bucky goes into labor is much less frustrating and far slower paced than the first. The twins barely progressed at all for days then suddenly came in less than thirty minutes. This time their son seems to be taking the slow but consistent mode of transport into the world. Bucky has been lying in bed on his side for a few hours trying to get a little rest while the contractions are still far apart. They’ve been coming every hour for four hours now. The last one was just over forty five minutes from the one before it. Bucky has a stopwatch by his bedside.

                While Bucky has been calm, Steve has been stressed to the point of losing it. He’s run out of things to get ready. The car is packed, Bucky has everything he could possibly need. Steve feels helpless. He was so anxious he wouldn’t leave for the thirty minutes it would take to go get the twins from school. Today was their second day of class in kindergarten. Natasha went to get them instead. They just got home. Natasha told them about their mommy and the baby in the car. The twins knew it was going to happen at any time but they still freaked out when they heard.

                “Mommy!” The both yell as the run into their parent’s bedroom. Steve almost growls before he realizes his children are unescorted. Natasha was polite to not intrude.

                “Hi Sweet Peas.” Bucky says from his nest in the bed. The twins gather on the side next to Steve. Steve smiles, realizing he is no longer the most anxious one in the room. The twins are buzzing with nervous energy. Bucky pats the bed next to him. “You don’t have to be all the way over there.” Bucky chuckles. It’s not that far, but he can tell to the twins it is. Sasha drops her backpack and climbs onto the bed first. Jamie takes off his backpack more carefully and strips off his shoes.

                “Hey, no shoes in bed.” Steve un-Velcros the straps on his daughter’s shoes for her. As soon as she’s free, she wriggles in close to her mother. Jamie joins her.

                “When’s the baby coming?” Jamie asks as he inspects his mother’s enormous belly.

                “A couple of hours. We’ve got awhile, I think.” Bucky runs his fingers through Jamie’s hair. “How was school?”

                “Okay.” Jamie says noncommittally.

                “I liked it.” Sasha says with more enthusiasm.

                Steve rummages through their backpacks and finds a few papers in a folder.

                “Wow! You guys wrote all this today in class?” He holds up a sheet of paper with letters from A to Z. That one has Sasha’s name in the corner. Her fake name of course. He finds a coloring page with an alligator and the letter A and little a. It's not exactly a masterpiece but it's destined for the fridge. 

                “We were just supposed to do 'A'. We knew the rest of them so we wrote those too.” Sasha explains. “It was kinda easy. I wrote the Russian ones too on another piece of paper.” Bucky taught Sasha those when she asked. Jamie never got so good at the Russian letters. He still has trouble writing his alphabet in English. He writes the letters backwards. It’s still way more advanced than most kindergartners can do on their second day. Steve picks through Jamie’s folder and finds his letters. His handwriting is better than his sister’s but he letters are backwards sometimes and they slant on the page more. Steve’s not sure why. Just one of those simple mistakes he guesses. Bucky used to do that in school too.

                “Oh! SSSHHH!” Bucky hisses through a contraction. The twins shrink back in terror that this is somehow their fault. It passes quickly though and Bucky is back to being relatively comfortable in a minute.

                “It’s okay, that’s just the baby.” Bucky soothes, a little breathless as he strokes his stomach. Sasha whimpers in distress. “Come here. We’re fine.” Bucky holds out his arm and lets the twins cuddle in next to him in bed. Steve puts the blanket over them. Steve gets a Starkpad so he and the kids can watch a movie while Bucky closes his eyes for a few more minutes.

.oOo.

Now

                Bucky sighs and looks over at Steve. His children are going to go cause some havoc and Bucky knows resistance at this point would be futile. Steve smiles at him and starts unpacking their lunches. Steve looks nothing like himself because of his disguise and yet Bucky instantly knew it was him. His body and scent are the same which was plenty enough, Bucky supposes.

                 Mrs. Holland pops her lunch into the microwave and takes her high heeled shoes off. She sets them under her desk and walks around barefoot. Bucky and Steve casually observe her as she reads something in her planner and then comes over to them.

                “This is really great I was worried nobody would volunteer. We don’t have many family members who can get time off. Are you both retired military?” She asks. She sits down in one of those tiny chairs.

                “We’re not quite retired. We still get involved when we’re called for.” Steve figures. Bucky thinks that’s about as accurate of a description as they can give.

                “But we have pretty clear schedules if we ask a few days prior.” Bucky elaborates.

                “That’s great.” Mrs. Holland nods slowly. “My husband and I have been trying to get the same week off together for months and had no luck.”

                “So you’re married?” Steve inquires.

                “My husband’s a beta.” Mrs. Holland nods. “We’ve been married for six months.”

                “Congratulations.” Steve says congenially.

                “Thank you.” She beams. “Before I get distracted, I wanted to ask about Sasha and Jamie. Did they skip a grade?”

                “Uh, yeah actually they did.” Bucky explains. “They were in kindergarten for two weeks before they got moved up to first grade.” Bucky loved their kindergarten teacher. He was heartbroken when the twins moved classes. The teacher, Ingrid’s daughter Ms. Romilda, moved grades to teach second grade the following year so she could have Sasha and Jamie in her class. Ingrid’s daughter also likes to be thorough. “Why?”

                “I was just curious. They’re younger than the rest of the class. Why did they skip if you don’t mind me asking?”

                “Their kindergarten teacher thought they already had mastery of the kindergarten curriculum.”

                “Hmm.” Mrs. Holland scratches her eyebrow and goes to get her lunch from the beeping microwave.

                “Is everything alright?” Steve asks, troubled by her response.

                “Well Sasha is definitely very bright but Jamie has been struggling. Particularly with multiplication, reading, and writing. His spelling is a particular challenge for him.”

                Steve and Bucky look at each other on cue. Neither of them can believe that in the least. Jamie is ridiculously smart. He knows all kind of things and has far better judgment than his sister. Sasha relies on _Jamie_ to explain things to her.

                Bucky thinks of how Jamie was still at his desk doing the math coloring worksheet. Bucky gets up from the table and goes over to look at his son’s desk. The math sheet has a few problems done with lots of little marks and circles around them but he hasn’t gotten very far. He seems to have erased a lot. Most of the other kids are almost done with their worksheet. Sasha has been done for almost the whole time Bucky’s been there.

                “Honey?” Steve asks. “Did you know about this?”

                “No!” Bucky snaps. He looks over at the teacher. “Do you have other work of his?”

                “He should be bringing it home in his folder.” She responds.

                “What folder?” Bucky demands.

                “His Wednesday folder.” She clarifies.

                “Jamie and Sasha haven’t been hear on a Wednesday yet.” Bucky is trying to stay calm.

                “Really? Huh?” Mrs. Holland gets up and goes to a green bin with folders in them. “I always remind the kids to take these home on Wednesday or if they’re gone, they’re always in the bin.” She hands Bucky two fat folders with his children’s names on them.

                A beep comes from the speaker system before the static filled voice of the head secretary begins to speak.

                “ _Mrs. Holland, Please come to the Principal’s office immediately_.” The speaker system announces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Side note: Despite how peaceful things seemed at the beginning of Bucky's labor with Billy, he actually gave birth in the hospital hallway. Steve almost mauled several people. Ingrid had to knock him out so he didn't hurt anyone else. It wasn't Steve's fault! His mate was out in the open with lots strange people around and doctors and nurses were trying to TOUCH his mate. There were lots of apologies and birthday party appearances.


	26. Chapter 26

                 Mrs. Holland comes running back to Steve and Bucky as fast as she can.

                 “We need you in the office now!” She says breathlessly. Steve and Bucky put effort into not running at full speed.

                 When they get to the office they hear the sound of an ambulance pulling up outside the school.

                 “Oh no…” Bucky doesn’t want to know. He just knows this is going to be bad. The head secretary is glaring at Steve and Bucky like _they’ve_ done something wrong.

                “Come back to the principal’s office.” She gestures to follow her. They go with Mrs. Holland on their heels. They pass the nurses office and that’s when they figure out what the trouble is. Steve leans his head back and closes his eyes. Bucky pinches his brow. Inside the office is the little girl that was making fun of Sasha’s friend. Her nose is obviously broken and there’s blood everywhere. She’s wailing hysterically. It’s obvious that almost all of her front teeth are broken. Her chin and forehead are also badly scraped. Bucky would guess she face planted onto concrete.

               “This way please.” Mrs. Holland directs. Jamie is sitting outside the office. Sasha is already inside the principal’s office waiting for Mrs. Holland and her parents to get there. Sasha sees the look on her father’s face and immediately shrivels inward. Her guts must be curdling from the heat of that disapproving look. Bucky just looks pissed with his lips slightly pursed as he stands next to Steve. He won’t even look at Sasha.

               “Okay.” Steve says in his commanding Captain Voice. “Tell me what happened.”

               The recess attendants and the councilor let the guy in charge do the talking. The principal begins by steeping his fingers. “Sasha and Jamie were playing kickball with some of the kids at recess. Sasha kicked a ball that flew across the playground and hit Kennedy in the back of the head. She fell forward and caused herself serious injury.” He explains.

                Bucky looks at Steve. This is serious. Sasha could be sued, expelled, or investigated in juvenile court for intentionally doing that kind of damage to that girl. Steve’s already going to send a check to the family for whatever the medical and dental costs are, regardless of how this turns out. Still, he has to protect his daughter.

                “I’m confused, this sounds like an accident?” Steve says with his hands on his hips. The principal has considered this it seems.

                “A few of the children said that Sasha had reason to want to hurt Kennedy. Kennedy herself claims Sasha did it on purpose.”

                “How far away was Kennedy from where the kids were playing kickball?” Steve asks. A recess attendant speaks up.

                “It’s a ways. About two hundred feet.” She says, looking gravely serious.

                “Uh huh.” Steve looks at Sasha then outside at Jamie. This is just what they wanted. Sasha wants there to be doubt about her ability to make such a shot. Steve has a strong case to argue that this is entirely an accident. Professional athletes would be hard pressed to hit a flimsy child’s ball two hundred feet to exactly the back of someone’s head. An eight year old girl just couldn’t do that intentionally. It had to be an accident. Sasha wisely has been claiming it was an accident the whole time. As the EMT cleans up Kennedy and takes her to the hospital, Steve looks at his own daughter critically.

.oOo.

                “Get in the car!” Steve barks at his children. He doesn’t think he’s ever been this upset with them. He just argued a lie to the principal to convince him that Sasha didn’t have malicious intent. The principal bought it and now Sasha is only suspended for a day instead of expelled. Steve knows better and so does Bucky. Bucky and Steve get in the front seats after their children have put on their seatbelts. Sasha and Jamie are distraught beyond words. Sasha is slowly leaking tears. She already thoroughly regrets what she did.

                They ride in silence. Steve bites his lip and frowns as he thinks over the best way to go about dealing with this. Bucky is trusting that Steve will handle this one. Bucky punishes them for mild offenses but for these serious situations he leaves Steve in charge. The truth is, he doesn’t know how to punish them. If this had happened between the girls from Red Room the aggressor would have been applauded. If a girl from Red Room did something undesired, she was taken out and shot or used as practice by her sisters. The Winter Soldier punished Natasha to the brink of death on multiple occasions. At least with him she would survive. He did horrible things to her, none of which he would ever even consider doing to his children.

                They park in the garage under the tower. Steve makes no move to get up. The children stay put, frozen in mortification.

                “Whose idea was it?” Steve asks steadily. He keeps his hands on the steering wheel.

                “Mine.” Sasha admits with a tremble to her voice. “I wanted to hurt her for what she does. She’s a bully.”

                “And you think what you did today was justice?” Steve asks with a hint of a mocking tone to his voice. “You put an eight year old girl in the hospital. She’s going to have scars for the rest of her life. It’s going to takes weeks for her to recover. Do you think she deserved that?!” Steve raises his voice at the end. He turns around and looks at both of his children. “You made a promise! You promised _me_ that you would never use your gifts to harm anyone unless your life is directly in danger. You broke your promise today and I had to lie to save you. You did a lot more than just hurt a little girl today. You hurt me too. What do you think _her_ parents are feeling right now? They are in total agony because their baby has been done harm. Do you think they feel she’s safe at school? How do you think they’d feel if they found out this wasn’t a freak accident? What would they think of you then? What would they think of _all_ of us who are different from normal people? This isn’t a game Sasha. And Jamie I know she didn’t come up with a kickball game on her own, you’re just as much responsible for this because you facilitated it.” Steve gets up and out of the car. The children stay glued to their seats in shame.

                “Get out of the car!” Steve yells. They scramble to obey him. Their father never yells at them. Bucky firmly puts his hands on their shoulders and walks them to the elevator.

                He walks them straight to their rooms. He puts Jamie in Sasha’s room and Sasha in Jamie’s. He closes the doors behind them. “You’re staying in there until dinner. After that we’ll talk about what the consequences for this will be.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah the hazards of teaching your children to be little avenging badasses. Tell me what you think of Steve's parenting style?


	27. Chapter 27

                Bucky and Steve lie flat on their backs sprawled out on their bed. Billy is on the floor playing with a Duplo set mixed with some small plastic farm animals. 

                “Are we bad parents?” Steve asks after five minutes of silence. Bucky shrugs.

                “Maybe? I don’t know. This ain’t any different than the stuff you used to do, aside from Sasha having the ability to make it work.”

                “It’s not the same thing. Sasha wasn’t fighting a bully today, she was being one.”

                “That girl was a serious piece of work.”

                “But she was a little girl.” Steve turns his head so he’s looking at his mate. “The kids can’t grow up thinking it’s okay to hurt people like that. Maybe they don’t realize how injury works for normal people?”

                “So we work on that.” Bucky doesn’t know how, though.

                “What do we take them to a hospital or something?” Steve ponders. “We could do that. We could bring them along for when I go see the kids at Dr. Vasil’s hospital.” Dr. Vasil is their family doctor. Steve goes and hangs out in the children’s ward dressed as Captain America every year during Christmas.

                Bucky stares at the ceiling then sits up. Steve watches him as Bucky goes and sits down in front of his two year old.

                “Hi Sweet Pea.” He coos as he looks over what Billy’s building. Bucky can’t make sense of it but it seems creative.

                “Mommy.” Billy gets up and hurls himself into Bucky’s lap.

                “Oof! Good one.” Bucky strokes his blond hair. He needs it cut. “So what happened with the SHIELD people today?” Bucky asks his mate.

                Steve props himself up on his elbows. “They ran a bunch of tests and it turns out Billy has an even stronger immune system than we have.” Bucky raises an eyebrow as Billy tries to get him to take a cow.

                “Yeah?” He takes the cow and makes it play with the horse that Billy’s got in his other hand.

                “Yeah. He’s impervious to harm that he’s encountered before.” Steve scratches his head. “I have a whole file on what they think that means for him practically. I tried to let them takes some blood to do research on, they thought they could use it to cure almost any disease.”

                “Uh huh…” Bucky isn’t so pleased with more drawing of blood.

                “But they couldn’t get a needle in him.” Steve shrugs. Bucky scowls in confusion.

                “What?” He spits out.

                “They tried five different gages of needles in every place they could think of.” Steve explains. “And they couldn’t break the skin anywhere. Theoretically it might still be possible to cut him but I don’t think it’s appropriate to try. They didn’t seem to think so either.”

                “Good!” Bucky snaps irritably. “Nobody’s going to cut up my baby for stupid medical research.”

                “Cow!” Billy squeaks.

                “Yes, cow.” Bucky parrots to him.

                “Moooooo!” Billy howls.

                “I wouldn’t let anyone do that, Buck.” Steve assures him.

                “You better not…” Bucky grumbles and puts together a pen for the horse and cow. Steve lets him quietly play with Billy for a moment. “So Buck, what do you think?”

                “I think that’s great but it’s not going to change anything. We shouldn’t tell the twins.”

                “Probably not.” Steve groans. “Oh what are we going to do with them?”

                “It’s up to you. I trust you’ll figure it out.” Bucky tells him as he collects some more bricks from behind Billy.

                “Mommy, potty.” Billy tells his mother astutely.

                “Really? Potty time!” Bucky says like this is some kind of a party. Bucky gets up and shepherds Billy to the bathroom where his training toilet is waiting.

                “You got this?” Steve asks.

                “Yes, go deal with your delinquent third graders.” Bucky hollers from the bathroom. Steve would rather have a stick shoved up his nose.

                Steve walks out into the hallway where his children’s doors are. He puts his hands on his hips.

                “Okay come out.” Steve tells them in his Cap voice. Sasha and Jamie emerge right away. Steve points at both of them. “Restriction for two weeks. No videogames, TV, friend visits, weapon practice, or combat training. You’re going to come with me to the hospital and see what it’s like to heal normally. Any questions?’

                Sasha shakes her head.

                “No.” Jamie says softly.

                “Alright then. Come help me make dinner.” Steve directs. Jamie starts moving immediately but Sasha stays put.

                “Daddy?” She peeps shamefacedly. Steve bites his lip.

                “Hmm?” Steve hums in response.

                “Do you still like me?” She asks uncertainly. Steve sighs heavily. That just about ripped his heart out. He kneels down and scoops her into his arms.

                “Yes! Alexandra Barnes Rogers of course I still like you! You’re my baby girl. You _never_ have to worry that I don’t love you. You’ve got a piece of my heart with you wherever you go. Just because I’m upset with you doesn’t mean you’re ever going to lose that piece. Just be careful what you do to others please, please Sasha. You are strong and bold enough that you can do anything, I just want to make sure that the things you chose to do are the right things. But I’m not going to stop loving you if you make a mistake.”

                Sasha muffles a whine into his shoulder. She’s trying desperately not to start crying again. Steve rubs her back and picks her up. He carries her into the kitchen. Jamie has set out six boxes of Kraft macaroni and cheese for dinner. Steve smiles and nods at him.

                “You on that?” He asks with Sasha propped on his hip.

                “Yep. I can make it myself.” He says proudly.

                “Did you hear what I said to your sister?” Steve asks with one eyebrow raised.

                “Was I supposed to?” Jamie asks sheepishly.

                “It’s fine Jamie. I just want you to know the same goes for you. Your brother too.” Steve reassures him. Jamie smiles appreciatively.

                “Thanks Daddy.” His voice cracks.

                “You don’t need to thank me for that. Just try and keep your sister out of trouble.” Steve grins. Sasha unglues her face from her shoulder to give her father an innocent pout. “Don’t even, we know who the trouble maker is in this family.”

                “YOU!” Bucky yells from the bathroom. The kids start laughing together at the shade of pink their daddy turns. Steve chuckles because that very well may be true.

.oOo.

                The first week of the kid’s restriction goes by without much fuss. Bucky sends a copy of Jamie’s school work over to a friend of his to see if they can figure out what’s going on. He’s still waiting for feedback. If the kids aren’t in school they spend time with their parents or their extended family. They keep busy and very active. It’s Saturday and Darcy has the kids working for her. Darcy is putting together a scrapbook and the kids are helping pick out the best pictures from a library that might take days to go through. Steve arranged it so that he and Bucky have time off to go Christmas shopping. It’s usually a multi-trip process to get stuff for everyone on their list. They like to get started early.

                Bucky and Steve hit the mall in civilian clothing and hats. People don’t tend to notice other people when they’re shopping, especially during this season when there’s a million things to be looking for. Bucky and Steve are split up at the moment because they’re looking for stuff for each other. Bucky has already picked up presents for three people on his list but not Steve. He’s trying to find something more original than art supplies this year. He always gets him art supplies.

                “What are you doing here!?” A peppy voice with a British accent calls. Bucky turns his head and spots Charles and Peter.

                “Uh… shopping.” Bucky says slowly. He’s not sure what else he’s supposed to be doing here. Then again it is him, it’s never smart to assume all is as it seems. Even though this time it actually is.

                 “Looking for the perfect gift for Steve I bet, or else he’d be here.” Charles guesses.

                 “We’re meeting up in fifteen minutes. I don’t have a clue what to get.” Bucky pushes his lips to one side of his face and squints one eye. “Ideas?”

                 “Umm…” Peter crosses his arms and taps the toe of his shoes on the ground. “Sex toys?” He suggest with an optimistic look.

                 Bucky looks appalled, angry, and then thoughtful within the course of a few seconds.

                 “That was a joke.” Peter’s eyes slowly widen.

                 “Yeah but I just remembered this conversation we had...”

                 “Sex toys are never a bad gift to a committed partner. They do keep things interesting.” Charles looks fairly approving. Bucky realizes that out of all his friends he has the most fantastic sex life by far. He doesn't need anything to spice up what is already very spicy. Still he listens to Charles. Charles looks very pleased about Peter's suggestion. “Actually we were on our way over to the adult store when we ran into you.”

                 “Why?” Bucky makes a face.

                 “Well, unfortunately we just went to the leather shop and found out they no longer carry what I am looking for. They referred me to the BDSM section of the nearest sex shop. You’re welcome to come with us if you like.” Charles explains. “Though you might want to tell your mate, we could be a bit. I tend to get distracted in those places.”

                 Bucky narrows his eyes at Charles. He’s rarely wrong about people, but he definitely did not peg Charles as the kind who has a dungeon at home. “What exactly are you looking for?”

                 “A banal accessory I must have for the upcoming weeks.” Charles rolls his eyes melodramatically. “I may have forgotten to mention it before, I’m engaged. The date’s finally been set which means I’ve got some traditions to uphold.”

                 Bucky has heard some old wedding customs from his parents. If the pair was alpha and omega and waiting to be bonded until after the ceremony sometimes the omega would wear a… Bucky looks at Charles curiously.

                “What kind of accessory, exactly?” Bucky asks in a higher pitched voice than he normally speaks in.

                “A leather collar. Erik’s off tending to the details. There is usually a pendant or ‘tag’ with the alpha’s family crest worn on the damn thing. That’s obviously Erik’s forte. Now all I’ve got to do is find a collar. It's harder than you'd think."

                Bucky gets a weird feeling in the pit of his stomach that hasn’t been there in decades.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter: Bucky loses his damn mind. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	28. Chapter 28

                There are some things Bucky has never told Steve. Bucky likes to think there is just some stuff Steve doesn’t need to know. It embarrasses him. Everybody’s got a secret, right?

                Bucky follows Charles and Peter into the adult store and immediately goes to the toys section. He’s looking specifically for a toy that fakes a knot. It’s a gel filled ring that goes around the base of the penis. The gel expands under heat and pressure. Bucky’s never owned one but he’s thought about using one on Steve plenty of times. He loves what Steve does to him in bed but sometimes he really just wants to wreck that ass. This knot toy will make a nice secret stocking stuffer. God that’s a good innuendo, he thinks. Bucky picks out the biggest of the options. It’s blue and seems like it will feel good judging by the sample the store has available to feel. Bucky’s already planning on fucking Steve with this intermittently between making him come around his huge knotting vibrator. It’s a replica of Steve’s dick. Bucky already can’t wait until Christmas. He picks up an unopened box and texts Steve.

                **Bucky: Any luck?**

                **Stevie: Shopping for you anywhere but a military surplus store is impossible.**

**Bucky: Lol. I found Charles and Peter.**

                Bucky glances over the isle at where Charles is looking at the leather goods. He averts his eyes and looks back at his phone. Steve texts again.

                **Stevie: Oh yeah? Where are you?**

**Bucky: The sex shop.**

**Stevie: I’m a few stores away. I’ll see you in a second.**

                Bucky takes a deep breath and wanders away from the section he’s in. He buys his gift and hides it in a bag. Steve comes in just then. Steve chuckles at his mate. Bucky simpers back.

                “What?” Bucky asks.

                “Just you. You used to get freaked out by this stuff. Now you’re buying Christmas presents here. I really hope that’s for me.” Steve nudges Bucky with his shoulder.

                “Well you know… growth and all that.” Bucky mutters bashfully. He looks up at Steve realizing what he meant by that last part. Steve, with his mouth stretched as wide as it will go, dimples in his cheeks, and a sassy pout to his lips, waggles an eyebrow. Bucky scoffs at him and practically head-butts him with a kiss. His way of saying, of course it is. The attack/kiss lasts for a split second. Steve pecks him back after it’s passed. Bucky turns a little pink. Steve fits their fingers together. Bucky huffs as if it’s a hassle.

                “Where’s Charles and Peter at?” Steve looks around.

                “Steve! Over here!” Peter waves in response. Steve holds up his hand and begins to drag Bucky over to where his friends are. Bucky almost plants his feet but he realizes that would be far too suspicious. He lets Steve drag him towards his Achilles heel.

                “Nice to see you again Steve.” Charles says. In his hands he’s comparing two leather bands. Bucky pointedly looks away to try and ignore it. “I’m trying to pick out a collar for this bizarre wedding tradition Erik and I are doing. Any input?” He holds out the two collars. One is black and sturdy looking like it could actually restrain an animal. The leather is soft and of high quality. The buckle on it is large and silver. It has a small D ring on it where a tag can be attached. The other collar is white. This looks like the kind of thing you would put on a show dog. While the black collar is a flat strip of leather, the white one is a dainty ring. The band is circular and the clasp looks very fine. 

                “Um, they’re both very different.” Steve doesn’t know what tradition Charles is referring to. If it involves a collar it must be at least a little kinky. At least by today’s standards.

                “Oh come now, don’t tell me collars make you uncomfortable?” Charles ask with a flicker of mischief in his eyes.

                “No!” Steve turns red. “I’m just not really sure why you’re doing this.”

                “Ah, well it’s an old practice. It stems way back to ancient times. It’s got to do with sexual restriction. It’s supposed to stop alphas from scenting an omega’s neck and prevent a bond bite from a suitor the omega’s family has not approved of. In the middle ages omegas wore them all of the time. Of course it’s still a collar not armor. It’s debasing and offensive to the autonomy of the wearer. In Victorian times it became rare to wear them always, with the exception of right before marriage. It’s sort of a promise to be faithful.” Charles smirks. “Not to mention quite the tease for the betrothed alpha. Erik’s says he’s not partial to it but I can tell he at least likes the symbolism of the thing. Besides, this is how Xavier weddings are supposed to go.” Charles shrugs.

                “I thought you were against all this traditional omega stuff?” Bucky asks. Now thoroughly confused and still trying to avoid looking at the things in Charles’ hands. Especially the black one.

                “I most certainly am, which is why I’m choosing to do all of it as a mocking gesture to the whole institution. I’m still going to be myself. In fact I plan to be even more outspoken and belligerent. Erik and I decided if we are going to marry we’re going to make it an event with all the pomp it’s due. This has certainly been a long enough time coming. I’m also looking forward to screwing Erik’s brains out with this thing on.” Charles declares proudly. Bucky feels himself getting hard at just the thought of fucking with a … on.  He tries to bite his lip hard enough to distract his body. He only succeeds in looking utterly adorable. “That is if I can decide on a collar.”

                “I think the white one is more your style.” Steve supplies.

                “That’s what I was thinking too.” Peter adds.

                “I would feel like such a prissy thing in this…” Charles grins. “Perfect for an omega with a pedigree. Alright I’m sold.” Charles hands the black collar to Steve for some reason. Bucky can’t fathom why he would do that. It’s even harder to ignore in Steve’s hand. “You know, it’s probably not your thing, but that collar would look stunning on Bucky.” Charles says pleasantly to Steve. He glances to Bucky and winks subtly. Bucky has the strong urge to throttle him until dead for that.

                Steve thoughtfully looks at his mate. Bucky’s a mix of fury and arousal at the moment. Steve tilts his head slightly. Peter and Charles go to the front of the store to pay for the collar. Steve studies Bucky a little closer. “You okay Buck?”

                “I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here already. Put that _thing_ down.” Bucky didn’t mean to have his voice falter. He doesn’t mean to swallow down extra saliva or lick his lips. Steve doesn’t miss any of it. He also doesn’t miss the way Bucky has his hand so deep in his hoodie pocket that he’s covering his groin. Bucky flicks his gaze to Steve’s face to anywhere but his hand. The corner of Steve’s mouth slowly curves. Just to be sure he lets go of Bucky’s hand and puts it on his hip. Bucky looks down but accidentally catches a glimpse of the collar in Steve’s hand again. Steve discretely trails his fingers over the waist of Bucky’s jeans then palms his erection through his pants. Bucky hisses roughly. He barely holds back a whimper. Steve’s mouth drops open in surprised wonder.

                 “Buck… what’s going on? Do you-?” Steve holds the collar up so it’s in front of Bucky’s neck. “Have a collar fetish?”

                Bucky’s nostrils flare, his pupils expand into huge black pits in his eyes, the wave of arousal pheromones that comes off of him almost bowls Steve over. He smells like an omega that has been deprived of sex for months. He’s never been hungrier for it outside of heat in his life. Bucky realizes this in a flash and smacks the collar away from his neck. He stuffs both of his fists in his hoodie pockets and bolts out of the store leaving Steve standing there with his answer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is not about to turn into a BDSM fic. Bucky just has a thing about collars. A clearly very repressed thing. This has almost nothing to do with the plot but it's amusing as fuck to me, so there! Soon to come: Sex, Ms. Romilda, and Christmas with the Avengers.


	29. Chapter 29

               Bucky sits in the car staring blankly ahead in the passenger’s seat. He’s utterly mortified and still very turned on. He’s almost sure of what Steve will be buying him for Christmas and he has no idea what he’s going to do about that. He thumps his head back against the seat and groans, covering his face. Maybe Steve will be merciful? No way, that punk never gives him slack when it comes to their sex life.

                Steve gets in the car thirty minutes later having finished going to a few more stores. Bucky notes there is not a bag from the sex store like he was expecting. The disappointment is like a stab. Bucky frowns at himself and shakes his head to clear away thoughts about this whole thing. Steve was probably horrified by what he just did. Their sex life is phenomenal but pretty vanilla. He shouldn’t be surprised that Steve isn’t interested.

                Steve gets in the driver’s seat like nothing happened. Bucky glances over at him as if there is something wrong with him. Steve turns on music and starts the car. Steve looks over at Bucky with his eyebrows raised and his upper lip sucked in. He smacks his lips and casually turns the steering wheel.

                “I put it in another bag, don’t worry.” Steve turns the wheel. Bucky’s head whips around to look at his mate.  “I got tags for you too.” Steve says as he watches for traffic.

                Shocked and now flustered, Bucky lets his mouth hang agape. “What?!” He asks in a shrill voice.

                “I stopped off at the pet store. They had one of those engraving things.” Steve says casually.

                “What does it say?!” Bucky feels like every hair on his body is standing on end.

                “Guess you’ll find out later.”

                “Shit…” Bucky hisses as he hides his scarlet face. Steve starts giggling like an idiot. Bucky is so beyond embarrassed. Steve is _giggling!_ Grown men that look like Steve should not giggle! “Shut up!” Bucky whines with his face in his hands.

                “Oh come on Buck, you don’t even have to wear the thing if you don’t want. We can just shove it in the back of the closet if you are really bothered by it. Though from here it looks more like you’re _hot_ and bothered.” Steve bites his lip again.

                Bucky punches him in the arm with The Weapon so hard that the SUV swerves. Steve corrects for it easily before giving Bucky a disapproving look. Bucky doesn’t notice. He has his head between his knees with his hands dug into his hair. Steve rubs his arm and sighs to himself. He’s finally done it. After all these years he finally broke Bucky.

.oOo.

                Steve cooks hamburgers for dinner. Bucky tries to concentrate on helping Jamie with his homework but Steve keeps give him these smug, knowing looks. Bucky is desperately trying not to think about why.

               Sasha is working on division facts while Jamie is still working on multiplying by six. Jamie’s behind and Sasha’s ahead of where they should be for their grade level. The worst part is Bucky sucks at math. Not all math, some math he’s very good at but that’s because it was programed into him for one reason or another. Basic math facts have no application for his previous life. Bucky would just use a calculator but they’re not supposed to do that. It’s cheating.

               “What’s 72 divided by 9?” Sasha asks with her cheek smushed into the palm that’s supporting her head above the counter. Bucky squints one eye and tries to add to figure it out somehow. Steve is about as helpful as Bucky is.

               “8.” Jamie says as he draws little squiggles around the problem he doesn’t know. Bucky glances at him, Jamie doesn’t know what 6 times 5 is but he knows 72 divided by 9? Bucky can’t figure that out.

               “What about 81 divided by 9?” Sasha asks again.

               “9.” Jamie responds unenthusiastically. Bucky readjusts himself and looks between his children.

               “Sasha let me see your flash cards.” Bucky asks. Sasha hands them to her mother. Bucky picks a random card and holds it up.

               “Jamie what’s the answer?” The answer is written small in the corner facing Bucky. On the other side, the problem is 56 divided by 7.

               “8.” Jamie responds. He’s right. Bucky takes out another card. This one is 40 divided by 10.

               “4.”

               Bucky keeps going through these until he’s got a big pile sitting on the counter. Bucky stops abruptly and sets down the box. “Now how did you know all that and not know the multiplication stuff?” He asks. Jamie shrugs.

               “I guess I just get it better. I think about it like parts. You know how big it is and then you find out how many parts you can make with the units they tell you. All the stuff you need is there. They don’t tell you that for the multiplication stuff.”

               Bucky stays quiet. “So you know all of Sasha’s division facts but you’re ‘struggling’ in math?”

               “I’ve been on the same box now for the whole time I’ve been going there. We take a timed test and if we don’t do all the problems in time we don’t move on.” Jamie admits with a lot of shame, “I can’t do the problems fast enough.”

               “But you’re so smart!” Sasha protests.

               “I have to think about it more.” Jamie moves his pursed lips from side to side.

               “What did Ms. Romilda do for you?” Bucky asks. She was the kids favorite and she always made sure Jamie was taken care of. Ms. Romilda never told them there was anything wrong.

               “She tried to help me. She asked me the questions a different way. I understood them better so she let me move on.”

               “Okay so what’s 8 times 7 then?” Bucky asks. “I know you know this, you just told me the answer to the division version of it.”

               “56?” Jamie answers uncertainly.

               “Yes!” Bucky says excitedly. “How did you do that?” Bucky has a suspicion but he wants to see if Jamie understands.

               “I don’t know. I thought about the parts.”

               “Maybe you did it backwards from the way it make sense to you?” Bucky grin proudly. “You aren’t dumb Sweet Pea, you’re very smart. You just do things differently. The hard stuff is easy and the easy stuff is hard.” Bucky is certain that’s what’s going on. Jamie shyly lets out the smallest of smiles. Bucky pulls his head to him and kisses him on the temple. Jamie snorts and picks up some of the flash cards.

.oOo.

                “So he’s really good at Math, he just needs to adjust his thinking. Now we’ve just got to figure out the reading and writing thing.” Bucky says as he gets ready for bed. Jamie and Sasha have been in bed for an hour and Billy’s been asleep even longer. Bucky stayed up trying to analyze what’s going on with his son’s writing. The internet had some helpful input but Bucky still wants to talk to Romilda before he goes making any assumptions.

                “I’m glad you figured it out.” Steve tells him happily. “You’re a really good parent, Buck.”

                Bucky looks up at Steve with wide, emotion filled eyes. “Really?”

                Steve strips off his shirt and sits next to Bucky on their bed. “Yes.” He leans forward and kisses his mate gently. “You’re ma would never have believed it.” Bucky leans his head back, grinning. He flops onto the bed so he’s on his back. His hair goes everywhere in a halo around his head. Steve reaches across him and rubs his exposed ribs and hip. “I think she actually warned me that you’d be one of those omegas who beats the crap out of anybody that messed with their babies.”

                “You say that like it’s not true.”

                “Well, you’re a better problem solver than she gave you credit for.” Steve chuckles.

                “I’m glad you’re telling me this now after eighty years.” Bucky rubs Steve’s jaw.

                “Kind of like how you told me you like collars?” Steve cocks his head. Bucky throws his arm over his eyes.

                “Oh fuck off.” Bucky growls pathetically.

                “I think I should give you your Christmas present early considering how long you’ve been without.”

                “Are you kidding me?” Bucky stiffens.

                “Nope. I don’t think I can wait to see what you’re going to do with it on.” Steve purrs to him.

                “Mmmm.” Bucky’s toes dig into the bedspread. “Not here. I’ll wake the kids up.” Bucky groans. Steve’s eyebrows pop upward. Bucky can be utterly silent during sex if he wants to. Steve’s not as good at it as Bucky is but he’s still quite enough to not disturb people sleeping in the next room.

                “You want your heat room?” Steve strokes Bucky’s side again.

                “Wouldn’t be a bad idea.”

                “Okay.” Steve moves so he can hoist Bucky up into his arms. Bucky lies limp with his eyes closed as if he’s dead. If his heart wasn’t beating twice as fast as normal Steve would swear he is. “Are you trying to play possum?”

                “No.” Bucky grunts belligerently.

                “Stop it and grab the bag or I’m dropping you.” Steve threatens. Bucky looks up and realizes the plastic bag which must contain his… is right in front of him on the counter of the bathroom. Bucky balks and presses his face into Steve’s chest. Steve shakes his head and tosses Bucky so he’s slung over his shoulder. Bucky claws at Steve’s back in protest. Steve grabs the bag himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Snort* 
> 
> -The Trollop


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING THIS IS PURE SMUT!

               Bucky and Steve have a room in the tower specifically for when Bucky’s in heat. During that week Steve likes to have his omega in a familiar place that’s not too far from his children but also affords them privacy. Thus their heat room.

               Steve drops Bucky on the bed that will forever smell like sex no matter how many times the sheets get washed. Bucky smiles and nuzzles into the sheets. Steve sits down behind him to just admire how good he looks twisted with one hip up and his face down on the bed. Bucky arches his back so he can look around at Steve. The omega blinks slowly a few times before rolling completely over so he’s on his back.

               The Steve seizes him by the knees and rotates him so Bucky’s legs are splayed around his waist. Steve leans down like he’s bowing to kiss the center of Bucky’s stomach. Bucky snakes his fingers into Steve’s hair as Steve kisses lower and lower. It takes him forever to get from his starting place to the hem of Bucky’s pajama pants. Steve pushes at it with his nose before he pulls at it with his teeth. Bucky makes a soft sighing noise.

               “I thought you were going to give me my…” Bucky bites his lip as Steve hooks his fingers over the edge of his pants and starts pulling them down.

               “I am. I just want you naked first.”

               Bucky watches the way Steve’s muscles move like waves under his skin. Just the simple act of stripping him looks like art when Steve does it. Steve’s arms flex as he picks up Bucky’s ass to slide the pants down. Steve’s hands pause to grope his mate. Bucky hums and smacks his shoulder.

               “Come on Rogers, pick up the pace.” Bucky gripes.

               “It’s my gift, I’ll give it when I want.” Steve nips at Bucky’s exposed inner thigh right next to the prominent tendon. The skin there is thin and darker than the rest of him. The briefs Bucky is still wearing are uncomfortable against his growing erection. Steve groans as he mouths Bucky’s cock and balls through the fabric. He runs his fingertips from just behind his balls up to his hole.

               “God! Steve!” Bucky playfully slaps him in the face which only succeeds in making Steve laugh at his frustrated mate.

               “You are by far the feistiest omega ever to live.” Steve shakes his head before finally divesting Bucky of his underwear. The omega’s penis gratefully springs up against his stomach at once.

               “You like it!” Bucky hisses. Steve pushes Bucky’s clothes away and keeps teasing him along the cleft of his buttocks. When his fingertip passes Bucky’s wet entrance Steve pushes inward and twists his finger just enough to almost penetrate him. Steve breathes heavily as Bucky tries to push back against the finger but he keeps moving his hand forward to lightly stroke from his perineum to the tip of his erection. “Stevie!” Bucky’s voice is almost a shriek. “Fuck me or put that _thing_ on me or both! But stop teasing!”

               “Nuh uh.” Steve responds childishly. This is the single greatest two not-words he has ever learned from his children.

               Bucky is so tired of waiting. He really wants Steve to just put _it_ on him already so he can see how it really feels. Bucky torques his hips so he can snag Steve’s neck between his thighs and choke him out if necessary. Though given the circumstances Bucky would prefer it not come to that. Bucky is careful not to snap Steve’s neck as he whips his body up so he’s sitting on top of Steve’s chest with Steve’s head pinned between his thighs. They’re so snug that Bucky’s balls are pressed between the dip of Steve’s sternum and his Adam’s apple. Bucky braces his arms on the bed and grinds his ass down onto Steve’s chest. Steve’s hands firmly hold Bucky around the thighs. His thumbs press into the powerful muscle hard. “Why?!” Bucky husks in between raspy breaths.

               Steve admires the slight jut of his mate’s lower lip and the way he’s taking deep breaths of his scent. Bucky is fucking gorgeous when he’s riled up in bed. “I wanna hear you ask for it.” Steve smiles and shrugs while raising his left eyebrow. He rubs Bucky’s thighs soothingly.

               “What? I already did?” Bucky’s eyes dart around as he thinks.

               “I want you to say the word you won’t say.” Steve lightly trails his fingers up Bucky’s sides.

               “Word? There’s no word?” Bucky protests. He grunts when Steve brushes his thumbs over his nipples.

               “Collar, Buck. You haven’t said it once. I’m not giving it to you until you can ask for it.” Steve continues to play with his nipples.

               “God you’re a punk!” Bucky yells in pleasure and frustration. Bucky grinds his ass down against Steve’s chest and this time Steve can feel slick. Steve keeps tugging and pinching Bucky’s right nipple with one hand while the other one drives down to Bucky’s rear. He pushes one finger in just to test the waters.

               “Ahh!” Bucky gasps. He clamps his eyes closed with his jaw hanging open and his lower lip quivering. Steve moans with him. He really needs to get Bucky off him so he can take his pants off. This is Winter Soldier Grade torture. Steve adds another finger which makes Bucky grab a big handful of the sheets and whimper. Steve curls his fingers inside him. “Okay!” Bucky grinds himself into that intimate touch. “I can say it! Stop for a second so I can-fuck-THINK!”

               “I don’t think you need to think.” Steve taunts as he jerks his hips up into nothing. He’s sweating out more alpha pheromones the more Bucky slicks. He’s sure the end result of this will be well worth the painfully unattended erection he’s sporting.

               Bucky yells in defeat like he’s been shocked, “I want my-!” He throws his head back and squirms with anxiety and arousal against Steve’s touch. “Collar.” He whispers. The word quickly turns into a deep breath and a whimper at the realization that this means _he’s about to get it._

               “Okay Baby, you earned it.” Steve rumbles gratefully. He gently rocks Bucky over onto his side so he can get out from under him. Bucky puts up no resistance.

               The omega lies there with his arms thrown up around his head and his legs open. His inner thighs gleam with lubricant in the low light from a table lamp. His breaths come in short puffs as he watches Steve finally rid himself of his confining pants. Steve keeps eye contact with Bucky the whole time he does it. Bucky only breaks the shared look to glance at his mate’s engorged cock hungrily.

               “I don’t think it’s gonna fit.” Bucky jokes with his usual gutsy simper. Those were the exact (nervous) words he told Steve the first time they had sex after the serum.

               “Has so far.” Steve laughs with a shake of his head. He grabs the bag at the foot of the bed off the floor and sits back down at his mate’s side. Steve takes out a smaller bag which contains Bucky’s present. The bag is made of dark blue imitation velvet. Bucky sits up so that he can see better. Bucky leans his head on Steve’s shoulder as he eyes the blue bag.

               “Merry Christmas, Buck.” Steve kisses his mate’s messy hair. Bucky gulps and releases the draw string on the bag. He pulls the black leather collar out as if it’s about to transform into a cobra. The tags jingle together, it’s a pleasant sound. Bucky gently turns the tag so he can read it.

               “My name is Bucky.” He reads aloud.

               “Just in case you forget who Bucky is.” Steve quips before he gives Bucky’s cheek another, harsher, kiss. Bucky flips to the other tag.

               “If found please return to Steve Rogers (Mate).” Bucky lowers the collar so it rests in his hands on his lap.

               “Thanks.” Bucky says softly.

               “Do you want me to put it on you?” Steve rubs the small of Bucky’s back and kisses Bucky’s bond bite.

               “Yes.” Bucky’s response comes out in a puff of air.

               “Hold still.” Steve takes the collar out of Bucky’s loose grip and holds it up to the omega’s throat. Bucky pulls his hair out of the way. Steve keeps his attention on Bucky’s tense shoulders as he drapes the leather band around his omega’s neck and then finds the appropriate notch to buckle it at. He puts two fingers between the collar and Bucky’s throat to check if it’s fitted properly. “Is that too tight?” Bucky doesn’t respond. Steve looks up at his face and sees why.

               Bucky’s eyes are enormous, glassy, and dark. His features flicker between shock and the face he makes right before he’s about to orgasm. “Buck?” Steve strokes Bucky’s cheek with his thumb. “Are you alright?” Bucky whines and tries to swallow down the arousal before it gets the best of him. Bucky nods vigorously.

               “Yes! Want you!” Bucky gets up off the bed in a flurry of moves Steve is too stunned to follow. Bucky is on the floor with his lips wrapped around his dick before Steve gets a bearing on what his mate is doing. Steve instinctually grabs a handful of Bucky’s hair.  

               “Holy Hell!” Steve’s eyes roll back in his head. His chest heaves as Bucky enthusiastically licks up and down his shaft. Bucky’s tags jingle with every motion. Bucky does a particularly spectacular job of salivating onto him so that he has some lube to work with when he strokes Steve’s base. Bucky can’t fit all of Steve in his mouth and throat. The best he can do is use his hand to work the last few inches he can’t reach even if he gags. He times the way he hollows his cheeks with the way he gently squeezes with practiced perfection. Bucky lets Steve’s red cock slip out of his mouth so that he can lick the tip in one long, drawn out motion before dragging his tongue back along the underside to the base and back up. He sucks Steve into the wet chasm of his mouth again and again, pausing only to preform little tricks on his tip and balls. The tags clink together when he sucks Steve down.

                “Buck!” Steve gasps as his omega massages his balls with both hands while he deep-throats as much of his erection as he can fit. Bucky’s eyes are watering from the effort of swallowing around his mate’s girth. “Bucky!” Steve tries to make his shouts of pleasure more authoritative sounding. Bucky is never this hard to reign in during sex. Steve didn’t know what to expect when he put the collar on Bucky but he wasn’t expecting Bucky to turn this single minded.

                The omega is pushing himself to the point where he can’t be comfortable. Every time he has to pull Steve’s dick out of his throat to breathe he swallows him back down enthusiastically within only a few desperate breaths. Pre-cum has been gradually smeared all around Bucky’s chin and mouth. Steve’s knot is starting to swell the more Bucky grips it. If Bucky doesn’t back off, Steve’s going to come down his throat; and as much as Bucky evidently wants that, that’s not what Steve wants. As Bucky’s been fucking his face over Steve’s dick, Steve’s been getting big lung-fulls of the smell of Bucky’s slick. As wonderful as Bucky’s mouth is, it’s not the same as the feeling of Bucky climaxing when Steve’s balls deep in his ass.

                “Buck!” Steve does the one thing he can think of and yanks on Bucky’s collar. Bucky had Steve’s cock down his throat when he pulled. For one horrible, phenomenal second he felt the constricting tug to his shaft _through Bucky’s body._ Steve holds Bucky’s head away from him by keeping a finger firmly tucked into his collar band. Bucky coughs a little from having Steve’s erection pulled out of him like that. Bucky takes a few mellowing breaths, still on his knees between Steve’s legs, looking up at his mate questioningly. “Stop, you’re hurting yourself.” Steve says between deep breaths.

                “Please Stevie I want it!” Bucky whines. His eyes look red and watery. His cheeks are flushed. The mess around his face makes him look particularly debauched.

                “I know Baby Doll.” Steve strokes his mate’s face between wiping away smears of pre-cum from his cheek. “Get up on the bed, you can have it. Just not like that.” Bucky still looks like he’s about to lunge for his dick despite the offer. Steve leans down and picks him up around the waist. The way he holds them presses their erections together. Bucky’s hips jerk rapidly. Steve pushes him belly down on the bed before that gets too hard to resist. Bucky pants as he looks over his shoulder at his mate. Bucky keens for it as he presents himself to be mounted or whatever else Steve will give him.

                 Steve bends down to lap at the slick around his omega’s behind. The alpha reaches between Bucky’s parted legs and takes hold of his bobbing dick. Bucky makes another low animalistic noise. Steve uses his free hand to spread his mate’s cheeks and lick into him. Bucky snaps his hips back into the touch. Steve tugs his cock in time with licking his hole. Bucky only lasts a few gentle touches before he comes over Steve’s hand. He makes the most wonderful wrecked noise as he shakes. Steve thrusts two fingers inside him, scissoring to get a sense of how prepared he is. He’s about halfway to where Steve prefers he be before he tries to fuck him.

                 “Uhhh! Stevie now! Please alpha! I need it! Want your dick so bad!” Bucky pleads. Steve kisses the dimples of his back as he continues to probe inside him with two fingers. He knows he’s found Bucky’s prostate when he suddenly starts violently shaking and thrusting. The tags of his collar jingle together rhythmically. “Oh please! Please!” Bucky begs. Steve tries another curious pull to his mate’s new collar.

                 “Shhh! I’m going to fuck you, just be patient. I don’t want to hurt you. Be a good omega and wait for your alpha, Buck.” Steve hopes his voice sounds confident. He’s never used the alpha/omega card to boss Bucky around in his life. He’s expecting a punch to the nuts. Instead Bucky pushes himself onto his hands and knees and waits submissively like he asked. The omega is already getting hard again after his last climax. His face has turned even less like his usual confident self. He pants and whines and holds still while Steve stretches him open. Steve’s seen a lot of things in his life but he never imagined he was going to see _his mate_ , James Buchanan Barnes, behaving like a submissive doll. This isn’t Steve’s usual thing. He loves the way Bucky will complain and pout and occasionally take charge in bed. This is untouched territory. Maybe in heat Bucky will get like this for an hour or so, but he’s never so resigned to it. Bucky could use another finger preparing him but that would take another five minutes to do properly. Steve curses his damn proportions for the thousandth time since he discovered them. He needs to come, he’s been on edge since Bucky had him half way down his throat.

                 “Buck, you aren’t ready. Do you want me to fuck you anyway?” It kills him to offer because he knows Bucky’s in some kind of out of body state at the moment and whatever he says probably won’t be actual consent.

                 “Oh!” Bucky yells. He’s been given the okay to talk now, he can yell if he wants. “Just fuck me! Rip me open! Stuff me until I’m so full I break! I don’t care, fill me up! I’m so empty without you. Need you to make me whole!” Bucky babbles. Steve takes a deep breath. If he doesn’t give Bucky what he wants there is a good chance Bucky might turn around and break his neck.

                 Steve takes his hand out of Bucky slowly. Bucky makes a frantic whining noise. Steve uses Bucky’s slick on his cock. Bucky may be tight but he’s certainly wet enough for this. For a second Bucky isn’t being touched at all. “Stevie no! Don’t stop! I’ll do anything you want!” Bucky sobs. “You want another baby? I could give you another baby! I’m not in heat but I will be soon. Keep me here and fuck me until I’m ready and I swear I’ll get pregnant for you!”

                 “It’s okay, you don’t have to beg.” Steve swallows down the lump of desire. He makes a mental note not to give Bucky the collar during heat. Steve fits the head of his cock against Bucky’s entrance. Bucky hangs his head and moans a litany of “Yes!” Steve pulls his cheeks apart with his thumbs and pushes just enough to put pressure on the ring of muscle. Of course that’s not enough for Bucky. Bucky presses backward, forcing the thick head into his body. Steve watches his mate’s hole swallow him greedily like he didn’t think was possible with so little prep. Bucky strains but pushes it in anyway. His thighs shake and his erection leaks onto the bed. Slick drips minutely out of the tight seal between their connected bodies. Steve shakes his head violently to get out of his stunned state. “Stop it!”

                 Bucky seizes up then collapses onto the bed, ass still stretched over the first few inches of Steve’s dick. Steve pulls out of him hurriedly. “Noooooo!” Bucky whines disappointedly. Steve rolls him over so he can see Bucky’s face better. Bucky lights up as he recognizes a different position. Steve presses his legs apart and up towards his shoulders. “Uh!” Bucky presses his head back with his mouth wide open in delight. Steve holds one leg up with one hand and uses the other to direct his cock back into his mate. Bucky’s so wet that he hardly seems underprepared at all. “Oh!” Bucky screams as Steve slowly pushes himself into him. “OH!” He grips onto the bed with his hand and The Weapon.

                 “Touch yourself.” Steve orders as he slowly thrusts a little at a time to try and make Bucky really relax. Right now he’s tolerating the pain because he wants the pleasure, if he can get him to stop bearing down he’ll be a lot easier to fuck and it will be better for him. 

                 Bucky’s right hand lazily trails down to his leaking dick. He wraps his hand around himself but only halfheartedly beats himself off. Bucky’s always gotten off from penetration not attention to his own erection. Steve finally bottoms out inside him. Now he has to pause to let his mate get comfortable if he’ll let him. “Relax. Breath.” Steve instructs. Bucky whimpers. “Touch your nipples.”

                 “Move…” Bucky begs.

                 “I said touch your nipples.” This is the part where Bucky would normally tell him ‘you touch my nipples if you want that so bad!’ Instead Bucky hesitantly grazes his fingers over the hard pink nubs uncertainly. Bucky shivers briefly before he relaxes into playing with them. He bites his lower lip and watches Steve watching him. Steve surges forward and kisses him. The taste of Bucky’s slick from Steve’s mouth and Steve’s pre-cum from Bucky’s mixes together in a funny way. Bucky licks into his mouth reaching for more of it. His hands abandon their post at his nipples so that he can wrap his arms around his mate’s wide shoulders.

                 Steve slowly starts to move his hips as they kiss tenderly. Bucky pants between their kisses but always comes back for more. Steve thrusts harder and passionately claps their mouths together. He plays with Bucky’s tongue in between sucking on his bottom lip. Bucky puts up little resistance except when he holds him still for a long drawn out kiss. Steve’s hips thrust back and forth smoothly at a clipped pace. “Oh yes!” Bucky groans, shutting his eyes in ecstasy. “Ah!” Steve licks his jaw as his harsh thrusts make it impossible for tenderer kisses. Bucky scratches into Steve’s shoulder. The alpha yells in pleasure. Steve abandons holding Bucky’s knees up as he can take hold of his hips.

                 “Is this what you want? Being full of my cock?” Steve rasps to him. He nips their bonding mark as his pistons his hips.

                 “Yes!” Bucky cries as he eagerly receives each deeply penetrating insertion. Steve bites the omega’s earlobe between sharp teeth.

                 “Want me to come inside you until you gush?!” He whispers into Bucky’s ear.

                 “UHH! YES!” The omega screams as Steve hits his mate’s prostate. Steve pulls out of him suddenly leaving Bucky’s body temporarily gaping. “Ah!” Bucky yelps as Steve turns him over and forces him backward until his face is inches from the headboard of the bed.

                 “Hands up against the wall. I want to hear my Christmas present when you come.” Steve forces his cock back into Bucky and puts effort into fucking him fast and rough. Just like Steve wanted, with every jerk of Bucky’s body the tags on his collar clink together. Steve’s knot forms quickly. Bucky spreads his stance to make it easier to stretch.

                 “Stevie! Stevie! AH!” Bucky’s about to lose it. Steve’s knot is almost completely engorged. A lucky thrust hits Bucky in the prostate going in and snags a sensitive knotting gland on the way out. Steve’s knot slams into that spot and that’s the end for Bucky. “AHhhhhhha!” He sobs as his whole body tingles. He peaks so high he stays up for much longer than usual. He didn’t know he was capable of having that intense of an orgasm.

                 “Ugnh!” Steve groans as he shatters apart inside his mate like a bomb. Bucky yelps at the sudden rush of fluid inside him. He’s not surprised just, taken back by how much Steve is _still_ coming. Steve grabs Bucky by the waist and tugs him down onto his side so they can lie together more comfortably. Steve’s hips twitch weakly with aftershocks. Bucky’s head feels slightly less cloudy now. He touches the tags on his collar and thinks about what he just did. He frowns, “What the fuck?”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh... married bliss? So the rating went up. Guess why?
> 
> -The Trollop


	31. Chapter 31

               Steve takes a shower while Bucky throws the sheets in the laundry. Bucky then takes a bath back in their suite. He takes a long time soaking. Shame, unfortunately, doesn’t wash off so well. After forty five minutes the water is cold and dirty. He drains the tub and rinses off in the shower one more time. Standing proves to be an awkward endeavor. His knees still feel unstable and his ankles just don’t seem trustworthy. He gets out of the shower before he slips or something. He puts on a pants, a shirt, and even socks for bed. Oddly so does Steve. The two of them curl up together but no skin is touching.

               “You alright?” Steve asks with a gentle hand on Bucky’s side.

               “Yeah, just a little… shaky.”

               “Okay. Let me know if you want something.”

               “Just sleep I guess.” Bucky adjusts the pillow under his head. Steve exhales and wraps his arm fully around his mate. Bucky takes his hand because even if he’s embarrassed he’s not mad.

.oOo.

                Billy wakes up crying at seven in the morning. Steve gets up to go change his diaper. Bucky rolls onto his back in bed. He takes a deep breath and tries to sit up. He flops back down before he gets halfway up. A little voice in his head says he deserved that. Steve comes back in with a clean Billy in his arms. Billy is wrapped up in his blue star blanket looking drowsy.

                “Do you want to feed him or should I?” Steve asks. Bucky forces himself to sit up despite the discomfort. It’s not as bad as he thought it was.

                “I’ll-.” Bucky’s voice sounds like he tried to gargle gravel and some of it stayed in his throat. Steve purses his lips together to try and hold back the smile. Bucky clears his throat and retries his voice. “Oh shut up!” He grumbles. His voice still sounds like crap.

                Steve brings Billy over to the bed and sets him down. The two year old makes a dash for his mommy. Bucky picks him up at once and cradles him affectionately. “Think he’ll go back to sleep?” Steve asks. Bucky shrugs in answer. “You can talk, Buck. I promise I won’t make fun.”

                “You better not.” Bucky squeaks. He flushes pink. “I’m sorry about last night.”

                “You don’t have to apologize to me.” Steve chuckles. “It was fun. Yeah it was also a little intense but that’s alright. I liked it.” Steve strokes Bucky’s thigh over the blanket reassuringly.

                “I’m not sure what I think yet.” Bucky admits. He can’t deny the pleasure was phenomenal but the feeling of shame isn’t sitting well. He’s had some much shame in his life, he really doesn’t want that in his bedroom too. He has to think about it. Especially now that he knows what he does when collared.

                “Take your time.” Steve leans forward and pecks his cheek. “I’ll take Billy to the gym with me if you want to sleep more.” Steve offers.

                “Nah, I should workout. It accelerates my healing.” Bucky hands Billy over to Steve so he can get out of the blankets.

                “I didn’t hurt you did I?” Steve says looking worried.

                “Nah, nothing serious. I’d just rather not sound like this when the twins wake up.”

                “Fair enough.” Steve looks at Billy. “So what are we going to do Buddy?”

                “Cow!” Billy insists. Whatever that means.

.oOo.

                Steve and Bucky decide to lift the twin’s restriction for the morning so that the family can eat waffles and watch a movie together. It’s a family favorite, ‘The Incredibles’. The character ‘Mr. Incredible’ is undoubtedly based off of Steve. The kids think it’s hilarious, almost as laughable as the cartoons they make about The Avengers. ‘The Incredibles’ has a better storyline. Steve informed them pretty much the same thing happened to Tony once. Tony has told them the story of Aldrich Killian and The Mandarin a few times. The kids laugh at the parallels. 

                “Did you know a new movie’s coming out about you?” Jamie asks his parents.

                “No?” Steve looks at Bucky. Bucky shrugs, nobody tells him anything. They don’t watch cable or look up media in general. If there is some movie they ‘must see’ Tony makes them go.

                “Look it up! The kids at school are mad cause it’s rated R and their parents won’t let them go.” Jamie smiles deviously and raises an eyebrow. “What are they making a movie about that’s rated R?” Sasha shrugs and eats her waffles.

                Bucky glances concernedly at Steve. That sounds, bare minimum, suspicious. Bucky get up and mutters something about getting more pancakes. He picks up the Starkpad off the counter and googles ‘New Captain America Movie’. The first thing that pops up is about scandal.

                **‘Icon’: Defining or Defiling an American Icon?**

                The movie is evidently called ‘Icon’. Critics either hate it or love it. Historians are feeling about the same way. Some of them say that what the movie is claiming as ‘fact’ is downright slander. Others hail it as a triumph over the American media portrayal of Captain America as an all-American lady killer involved with a string of beautiful women, none of whom could compare to the love of his life, Peggy Carter. Before 1985, Bucky’s relationship with Steve was classified. All of the media before that went along with the propaganda the USO shows put together. The old way of portraying Steve has survived even though new information has shown up. Peggy Carter was a beautiful female omega, the ideal mate for Captain America. Never mind she was actually an alpha and Steve’s friend, not lover.

                One of the headlines declares, “They Finally Got It Right!” Bucky clicks on the IMDB summery of the movie.

**Icon**

**R  Action / Romance/ Historical**

**Captain America and his mate grow up together, fall in love, and go to war to defend their country while fighting with everything from bodily sickness to Nazi’s.**

**Director: Nick Cassavetes.**

**Writers:  Nick Cassavertes, Christopher Markus**

**Stars: Armie Hammer, Matt Bomber, Hugo Weaving**

                “Steve…”

                “Yeah, Buck?”

                “Come here for a second.”

.oOo.

                “You two told me to divert or decline anything asked of you two that was not for a reputable charity. You didn’t want to be bothered with media. This was bound to happen eventually! Why is this my fault?” Tony exclaims.

                “You should have told us.” Steve asserts. “We’re not comfortable with this.”

                “Well sorry, ‘no comment’ generally means ‘do what you want’ in Hollywood.”

                “ _It seems you have been invited to attend the New York Premiere on the 22nd._ ” JARVIS informs them.

                “What am I supposed to show up in a nice suit and sign autographs!?” Bucky snaps. “I’m an assassin not a movie star. Where did they even get this shit from?”

                “The memoirs of your friends. They were pretty thorough. My dad came up with a lot of bullshit but not as much as Dugan. You’ve read that stuff, you should know.” Tony says pointing at Steve. Indeed, Steve has read everything his friends wrote about him. Some of it was too much information in his opinion. Particularly Dugan’s original debriefings. He seemed to deal with his grief by talking extensively about his dead friend’s sex lives. Steve can only imagine what could be in this movie if it’s rated R and includes the stuff Dugan disclosed.

                “Let’s try and be calm about this, the public has access to this information about us already. This isn’t new.” Steve only half believes that himself.

                “Steve.” Bucky gives him a look. “The only people who took the time to dig that deep into historical information were huge nerds like you. Nobody cares if it’s all in some gigantic file turned into a memoir in 1985. The good stuff probably got chopped because nobody wanted Captain America portrayed like that.”

                Steve knows that’s true. Maybe they’ll get lucky and the movie is about the censored version of the story that’s in the book. Or maybe he’ll get hit by a falling meteorite and not have to deal with the intimate details of his sex life being portrayed on film for the whole world to see. His sex life… if only they’d found this out two days ago, maybe it wouldn’t feel as weird as it does now? Bucky is clearly on edge about last night and this whole fiasco is not helping.Tony tells him he’ll see what he can do and reminds him again this isn’t his fault.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Your comments crack me up. Bucky really can't get any slack. Next chapters include Romilda, The CSO of NY, a movie, Christmas, and the biggest disaster of Bucky's new life. Exciting huh?
> 
> -The Trollop


	32. Chapter 32

               Bucky mopes on the couch while his kids watch the movie. Billy has been assigned to security blanket duty now that Bucky is upset. He holds his son like he’s a teddy bear on his chest. Billy doesn’t seem to mind, he loves being held by his mommy. He’s his mommy’s ‘Billy Bear’. Steve got Billy a Bucky Bear pajama onesie for Christmas. It has a little hood with ears and a mask. Steve’s not sure if Billy will be able to sleep in it but it’s going to be adorable in pictures at least.

               Bucky’s phone rings. He fumbles for it in his pocket and clears his throat. “Hello?”

               “Mr. Barnes. This is Romilda.” Sasha and Jamie’s old teacher, the person Bucky asked about Jamie.

               “Hi! Wie geht es dir?” He realizes he’s not speaking the right language and switches back. “Have you had a chance to look over the things I sent you?”

               “I have had a chance to look it over. And I’m fine, thanks for asking.  Can you meet me?”

               “Sure, where?”

               “Central Park, by the chess sets. Maybe in an hour?”

               “Great. Thanks.” Bucky rubs at his eye thinking about all the crap he has to do afterward. The CSO of NY is meeting later and he’s hosting. Romilda hangs up.

               “Are we having another meeting about our kids?” Steve asks from the floor next to the couch. He and the kids were drawing on butcher paper while the movie played.

               “Seems so. First Billy, then Sasha, now Jamie. What’s next? Are we going to start having meetings about Tony?” Bucky smiles. The kids crack up at that. They’ve always seen Tony as more of an equal than an adult.

               “Who knows?” Steve smiles back at his mate. He turns to his kids. “You guys want to go to the park? Afterwards we can go shopping for the people on your Christmas list.” Steve offers. They twins like to pick out the gifts they give. Especially for their mommy.

               “Yes! Can we feed the ducks and throw snowballs and stuff?” Jamie asks elatedly. Shopping in civilian areas with the kids always makes Bucky nervous but it’s not like he can logically deny them that. They have to be allowed to go out sometimes with their parents. Bucky should probably skip that though. Damn social gathering.

               “I’m not sure if the ducks are there this time of year but we can bring some bread incase.” Steve chuckles.

               “Can we get a puppy for the park too!?” Sasha asks, her eyes sparkling.

               “No, nice try.” Steve gives her a look. Steve would get a dog in a heartbeat but it just isn’t practical to have an animal in a penthouse that needs to go to the bathroom outside.

               “Come on let’s get ready.” Bucky says, hoisting Billy up.

               "Cow!” Billy mouths at Bucky’s shirt.

               “Why does he keep doing that?” Jamie asks curiously.

               “No idea.”

.oOo.

               Captain America looks oddly normal pushing a stroller. The illusion is helped by the civilian clothes with dried baby food on his shoulder. Billy sits comfortably like a prince in his stroller, unaware that his mode of transportation is loaded with everything Bucky would need to wipe out the population of a small city. Sasha and Jamie are taking turns chasing each other. Bucky keeps yelling at them to remind them to sow down. Eight year old children can’t run at twelve miles an hour. Bucky is on edge even while the rest of his family is relaxed. Somebody’s got to be tactically minded, he reasons.

               Romilda is sitting at the chess sets as promised. She sit across from a man who must be thirty years her senior. They are playing quickly while a crowd watches.

               “Ms. Romilda!” Sasha yells when she sees her. She runs up to her without monitoring her speed. Jamie is more conscientious but still fast.

               “Hello!” Romilda smiles and hugs her two students at once. “How are you?”

               “Good.” Sasha shrugs.

               “We’re on restriction because Sasha broke this one girl’s face.” Jamie answers. Sasha elbows him and grumbles for him to shut up.

               “We are!” Jamie insists.

               “Stop it. Go feed the ducks.” Bucky commands from behind his children. Romilda chuckles when she notices Bucky. She had no idea he was there. He’s still ghostlike when he wants to be. Sasha and Jamie fidget. They want to stay and talk to Ms. Romilda. “Now.” Bucky insists. “You can talk later if Ms. Romilda has time.” Bucky gently pushes their backs in the direction he wants them to go. Steve waves them over and takes out some bread. The kids say goodbye to Ms. Romilda and leave their mother to talk.

               “Is the game over?” One of the bystanders asks.

               “For now. Come back in a half an hour and we’ll continue.” The group takes a second to clear off. Romilda’s playing partner remains. “James this is my husband, Alphonse.” Bucky looks from the nice looking German school teacher to the gruff looking old man on the other side of the chess board. That’s not a match he would have ever predicted. “I’ve known him my whole life. He once worked for my mother. We’re excellent partners.” Bucky has absolutely no idea what that’s supposed to mean. He’ll ask Ingrid sometime.

               “I’m sure you’ve got your reasons. So what did you think of Jamie’s work?”

               “I think now what I feared when he was in my class. Jamie is extremely smart but he’s got a learning disability. Dyslexia specifically. It’s particularly interfering with his reading and spelling.”

               “I’ve read about that. He mixes up the order of stuff like letters?” Bucky rubs his forehead.

               “Yes but on a more complicated level than that. It’s a little different for everyone who has it. It’s got to do with how the brain processes information. I also noticed that he might have a visual impairment as well.”

               “Like what?”

               “An astigmatism, strabismus, or perhaps amblyopia might be causing the problem.” She pulls out a card from her purse. “You should take him to see an optometrist. School screenings probably missed it.” She hands him the card with the number of a specialist on it.

               “I don’t understand, he has better than 20/20 vision?” Bucky shakes his head, feeling like this is somehow the fault of his bad DNA.

               “Yes, but it’s more complicated than that. Eye teaming and the endurance of the ocular muscles comes into play too. They have therapy’s that can help him.” She puts a hand on his shoulder. “It just takes endurance and commitment. I have no worries that you’ll be able to provide that.” She smiles warmly. Bucky snorts. She’s certainly right. “The dyslexia is a lifelong struggle I’m afraid. That can only be improved through practice and coping mechanisms.”

               “Like what? Dropping out of school when you’re fourteen?” Bucky asks sarcastically. It stings just to mention that. It wasn’t an unheard of thing to do back then. Bucky wasn’t making grades. He wasn’t smart and he needed money. He went to work, there’s no shame in going to work he tells himself. Dropping out on the other hand, that’s shameful in this day and age.

               Romilda purses her lips together in disapproval of Bucky’s momentary slip into self-loathing “I meant like a bookmark. Tracking words on the page is harder for people with dyslexia. How did you learn to read well?”

               “Someone stuck a probe in my brain and fried the part that didn’t work, I think.” Bucky rubs his mouth. He’s not actually sure how they cured him of his reading problem. He knows that when he went to war he was mostly illiterate. After whatever Hydra did he can now read in English and almost every language he comes a cross.

               “See to it that no one ever does that to your son.” Romilda plays with a chess piece idly. Bucky slowly glances at her. Romilda and her mother are two of the oddest women he’s ever met by far.

               “Only because you ask.” He retorts. She snorts and pushes his shoulder.

               "I’m glad you’re figuring this out now. He can still catch up and more. He has so much potential, James. Keep assuring him of that.”

               “I wouldn’t worry over that part. Are we done here?” Bucky asks her.

               “I think so. Unless you want to play a game of chess? My husband and I are both grandmasters, we could teach you some things.” She smirks mischievously. Bucky would rather gag on a sock than play chess.

               “No thanks. I think I’ll keep my pride intact.” Bucky nods then looks over at Alphonse. He didn’t say a word the whole meeting. Alphonse makes eye contact with Bucky for the first time. Bucky flinches where he stands. The memory attached to the man’s face belongs to The Winter Soldier. He fought this man once. This man _lived._ Alphonse grins once he sees he’s been recognized. He tips his hat to Bucky.

               “Like my Darling said, Soldier. We are well matched, she and I.” He speaks in a strong German accent. Romilda resets the chess board and waves at Bucky. Bucky retreats thoughtfully. There are some things that just do not need to be pried into. Bucky figures Ingrid, Romilda, and whatever radical socialist cult they belong to are none of his business.

               Bucky walks up to Steve and the kids with his hands stuffed in his pockets. “I talked to Romilda. I know where to go from here. You guys still going shopping?” The kids aggressively throw bread at the ducks. Billy is eating a piece. Steve is just pleased that there are ducks to be tormented at all. Steve looks over his shoulder at his mate.

               “I was planning on it. We’ll be done in a minute. I think we’re running low on bread.” Steve observes.

               “What have I told you about conserving ammo?” Bucky taunts his twins.

               “How does that apply to this?” Sasha throws a hand full of bread as hard as she can. She wads it up into a ball so it’s more aerodynamic. The ball hits the water or bursts apart in flight depending on how tightly she packs it.

               “Allow me to demonstrate.” Bucky declares with a smirk. Sasha and Jamie scoot over and give their mom some bread. The ducks are happy but also terrified.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that lovely list of things that could be the cause of Jamie's vision problems is inspired by my life. I actually have the combination of dyslexia and all of the things Romilda listed. Jamie's life struggles are the same as mine were, education wise . It took me a long time to learn how to write so that people could understand me. I'm talking 8th or 9th grade. The reading got better within about a year once my vision therapy started strengthening my eyes so I could focus for long enough to read passages. My reading level shot through the roof once I could, you know, SEE XD! I used to hate reading so much too! You know what changed that? Smut. 
> 
> By the way, what is going on with Romilda and Ingrid is shifty as fuck. Unfortunately it has nothing to do with the plot of this story, so can we just appreciate that shifty shit is happening and Bucky just doesn't want to know? 
> 
> You're probably wondering. Why isn't he freaking out about the million things he should be freaking out about?! Guess what next chapter is?! GROUP THERAPY! WEEEE! CSO of NY unite!


	33. Chapter 33

               Bucky gets back to his suite with an hour and a half left to clean up his house before his friends show up. Bucky grabs the vacuum first and gets to work.

               “JARVIS, call Tony! Tell him to get his ass in here and help me clean.” Bucky yells at the AI.

               “ _Are you sure you don’t want me to call someone who might actually increase cleanliness?_ ”

              “Yeah, you’re right call Darcy.” Bucky amends.

.oOo.

              Since it’s founding during the second trimester of Bucky’s first pregnancy, the Council of Super Omegas of New York has become a bi-monthly opportunity for said superheroes to come vent and bitch obscenely to one another. It’s a no kids, no spouses, no team grudges zone that lasts as long as it has to and changes locations depending on whose turn it is to host. The original members were Bucky, Peter, Sue Storm Richards, Rogue, and Matt Murdock aka Dare Devil. Now their group also includes Tony, Darcy(Whose super-ness has never been called into question) and Scott Summers.

              Rogue keeps glaring daggers at Peter while Darcy complains about her latest bad boyfriend. Rogue really likes Peter, her hostility confuses Bucky. Scott looks decidedly displeased as well. When Darcy finishes Bucky holds up his hands.

              “Okay. What the hell is going on between you guys?”

              “Oh nothing serious.” Rogue drawls. “Just _betrayal!”_ She hisses acerbically.

              “Thanks for forgetting about my problems.” Darcy pouts. Rogue is too fired up to care. Bucky pats Darcy’s shoulder. Peter addresses Rogue with aggravation.

              “What? How?” Peter looks genuinely confused.

              “You knew the professor was alive this whole time and you didn’t say anythin!” She practically screams. She’s flushed red in the face in her fury. Tony starts quietly laughing. Darcy has the ‘Oh shit!’ look nosy people get when they’re about to watch a juicy fight. She’s forgotten all about her issues.

              Peter looks around frantically before groaning and leaning back in his seat until he’s completely slouched. “How’d you find out?”

              “Magneto!” She yells.

              “Erik?” Peter looks really puzzled by that one.

              “What, so he’s Erik to you now? What have you been doing all this time?! Nobody calls him Erik!” Rogue protests hysterically.

              “Lots of people call him Erik.” Scott interjects quietly. He clears his throat and speaks with a more authoritative volume. “I think what Rogue is trying to say is that we’re a little hurt that you knew that our mentor was safe and happy this whole time. We thought he was dead.” Scott explains more diplomatically. Bucky thinks of Scott like the more boring, mutant version of Steve that shoots lasers out his eyes. He’s one of the X men team leaders and he’s very powerful. He’s just so goddamn vanilla. People must think this is what Steve is like.

               “I was specifically asked not to say anything to anyone! The guy that asked me can turn my brain into Top Ramen if he sees fit. How was I supposed to argue? Not to mention, Erik.” Peter makes a frightened expression. “He’s putty in Charles’ hands but he’s undoubtedly unstable. I’m pretty sure Charles could stop him from killing me, but I’m not completely sure. That terrifies me.” Peter tilts his head and raises an eyebrow. “So why’d he tell the X men Charles is alive?”

               Rogue looks at Scott then back at Peter. “He showed up on our doorstep lookin fine as hell then out of nowhere invited us to his weddin! Ah didn’t even believe it was him at first! Then he threw Logan against the ceiling and we believed him.”

               “Charles is going to be either furious or overjoyed.” Peter says shaking his head.

               “Erik knows him better than anyone. If he thinks this is the thing to do he’s probably right.” Scott tries to reassure him. He hums for a second reconsidering how he phrased that. “Let me be clear that I in no way agree with his regular actions. He’s insane but he’s crazy for Charles too.”

               “We ain’t gonna cause trouble for Charles at the wedding either. We’re not mad at him for not sayin anythin to us, honest! We ain’t gonna tell no body, we just want to see him and know he’s happy. Everyone agrees we owe him that much. Most of us don’t care for Magneto but if Charles wants this… I guess we have to go along with it.” Rogue explains now that she’s a little calmer.

               Sue sighs. “Did Erik explain that this was my son’s doing?” She says with exhaustion in her tone.

               “Yeah and that’s just fine by us.” Rogue smiles as wide as possible. “Ah personally want to give that angel a big hug and a kiss next time our kids meet up. He did exactly what Ah prayed would happen but didn’t know was possible.”

               “He also violated physics, the natural order, and death itself.” Sue says deadpan.

               “If done to the right people, Ah’ve got no problem with that.” Rogue nods certainly.

               “I had a few more reservations myself.” Scott says like the stick in the mud he is. “But I’m glad to have him too.”

               “Well I’m glad you’re all so accepting then.” Sue smiles but it doesn’t seem like she actually approves. The room falls silent.

               “Wow… drama lama.” Darcy says to break the awkwardness settling in.

               Bucky scoffs. “If that was the only thing I had to deal with I would be on vacation.” Bucky purses his lips. Sue, Rogue, Scott, and Peter all give him a speculative look.  Bucky gets the feeling they resent that comment. “Fuck!” Bucky runs his fingers through his hair. “My kids go to a school and they're either getting suspended for violence and mutiny or they’re being picked on for not understanding things the right way. Jamie is dyslexic and might have some eye troubles too, Sasha thinks its okay to maliciously assault people, and my baby might wind up being invulnerable to harm. I also have the most stressful job in the world. A job where, more often than not, I have to be The Winter Soldier to be functional. Don’t get me wrong I can do it just fine, it’s easy for me. But it crushes Steve to bits to see me like that. On top of all that shit now the press has more pictures of me which means my enemies have better resources to identify me. Oh! And how could I forget! They’re making a movie about me and Steve! When was _I_ going to be told about that!? Nobody’s brain was going to get turned to noodles for sharing! Fuck!” Bucky snarls. “And the best, most awful part of all of it? Now my sex life is all fucked up because I have a kink that turns me into a ravenous, cock-thirsty whore! I am not comfortable with that!” Bucky looks around at his stunned friends. He huffs and stands up. “I’m ordering Chinese.”

                His friends sit in the circle of chairs and couches considering what Bucky just shared. Tony particularly seems amused.

                “So when you say cock-thirsty-?” A knife sticks into the cushion of the couch. The blade is flush with his kneecap. The movement to pull his knee away slices open his jeans. Bucky has another knife in his hand and a ‘give me shit I dare you’ look on his face. Tony holds his knee to his chest, shivering at how unpleasant that could have been.

                “Next time I aim for the webbing between your fingers.” Bucky threatens as he looks over take-out menus.

                “Are we allowed to say constructive things? Or are just things in general banned?” Darcy asks.

                “Tread softly.” Bucky grumbles.

                “I have a feeling it’s mostly the last two things that are bothering you.” Darcy observes. Bucky stays quiet. Everyone takes that as a yes.

                “I watched the movie.” Tony admits. Bucky looks up at him, confused.

                “I thought it wasn’t out yet?”

                “I called some friends and they sent me a copy. People give me stuff, not a big deal. It’s good, the movie I mean.” Tony rubs his beard. Bucky gives him a hand gesture to continue. “And if half of it is true you and Steve have the best love story ever.”

                Bucky’s lip and eyebrow twitch at the same time. “What the fuck does that mean?”

                “I mean it's a good story. Did you really go into heat during the war? And did he actually build you a cave/cabin to hole up in for the week?”

                “Awww!” Darcy, Sue, Rogue, and Matt find that adorable apparently. Bucky hangs his head in defeat. Tony takes that as another affirmative answer.

                “You need to give me and Steve a copy of this movie.” Bucky huffs.

                “No! Go see it in theaters!” Rogue says happily. “Oh come on Bucky it’s just a story and it sounds sweet. You seem like you could use a date night anyway. What better date night than going to a movie about you two?”

                “I can think of so many things that would be better than that.” _Collar._ Bucky tenses up and stares harder at the menu.

                “I think I need a break.” Peter announces, maybe for Bucky’s sake. “Let’s pick what we want to eat.”

.oOo.

                When Steve and the kids come home with a dozen brightly colored packages, Bucky is taking a nap. Steve sets the boxes in the corner of the living room. They’ll unpack the fake tree tomorrow, he decides. They have a fake tree because Bucky doesn’t always react so well to the smell of real ones. They never have been able to figure out why. Steve slips into their bedroom to check on Bucky. He’s sprawled out on their bed in a messy heap. His phone screen glows on the night stand. Steve picks it up. There's a message from Matt. Steve checks Bucky’s messages sometimes, they don’t keep much from each other so it’s never been a big deal.

**Matt: I know you feel like trash for having a kink. You shouldn’t. Elektra and I have tried just about everything and discovered some very unusual preferences in us both. I asked the others and between us we have a pregnancy kink, sadomasochist, dom/sub, rape fantasy kink, spanking kink, symorophila (arousal from witnessing disasters), two cross-dressers, and Darcy admits to writing erotic fanfiction about The Avengers. My point is we are all weird as hell in the bedroom. We’ve known each other for years and not once have we mentioned these things, not because we’re ashamed but because we assumed everyone else assumed. Because we did. Except you. If you have something that really gets you hot, don’t take that away from yourself because you think it’s wrong. You’ve got enough on your plate. Nobody cares as long as you’re happy. The only reason anybody would object is if you were being hurt. Steve would never hurt you. I’d just trust him and fuck like rabbits. Have fun.**

                Steve finishes reading and realizes Bucky is awake. “Hey.” He gives Bucky his phone. “I don’t know if I was supposed to read that. I did, sorry. I think he’s right about all of it.”

                Bucky reads over Matt’s message quickly. His mouth curls into a lopsided grin. “Two cross dressers? My bets on Peter and Tony.”

                “I would have guessed Wade and Remy.” Steve wagers.

                “Good call…” Bucky sets his phone on his chest. “I’m still thinking about it but I feel better I think.” Steve leans down and kisses him gently.

                “I’m glad.”

                “Hey Stevie?”

                “Hmm?”

                “Do you want to go on a date to see that stupid movie?”

                “You’re serious?”

                "Yeah... why the fuck not?" 


	34. Chapter 34

              Bucky volunteers to come in everyday that week to help with the craft station. During days he’s nearly ruined five children’s craft projects. Sasha usually saves his ass by fixing it somehow. It’s not that he’s avoiding Steve at SHIELD or that he’s concerned his children will continue to behave badly per say. He’s just using his presence to help Jamie get the attention he needs. Bucky makes appointments with councilors and schedules meetings with the learning specialist at the school. By Wednesday Bucky has got Jamie seeing a reading specialist, an appointment with the optometrist for after Christmas, and on his way to getting a 504 plan to make sure he’s not being limited by his disability. Bucky doesn’t like that word. Jamie’s not disabled to him, just different. Until they get this reading and writing thing down though, he’s going to need the extra support. Bucky’s been incredibly busy. The amount of stuff he has to do in a day seems nearly insurmountable all of a sudden. Or at least that’s the impression he gives Steve. So much so, that Bucky has successfully avoided sex for the past four days.

              Before school on Thursday Steve buys their tickets for the next day 11:00 showing of ‘Icon’. That’s 11:00 am. The last thing they’re doing is watching the damned film in a packed theater. Steve prints out their e-tickets and discovers they won’t fit in his wallet. Steve grumbles irritably. He notices he’s been doing that a lot this week. Steve gets up to go put the tickets in his bedroom where the kids won’t see them. He walks into the room and discovers Bucky in the middle of picking out clothes for the day. He’s completely naked at the moment. Steve stands their stunned by something so normal but now tantalizingly forbidden. Bucky looks up at him as he sets out his shirt to make sure it doesn’t look terrible with his pants. He focuses back on his clothes. Seems fine. He glances back up at Steve. He is still standing there, transfixed by him. Steve finally gets ahold of himself and averts his eyes. It’s too late, he’s blushing and tenting his pants.

              “Um…” Steve really doesn’t know what to say. For the love of god, please can we have sex? I’m about to go masturbate for the fifth time in the last eight hours? This is so unpleasant? I’ve had increasingly vivid sex dreams for days? I’m horny as hell because I’m used to having sex once or twice a day? I’m a super soldier and an alpha, I have a very high sex drive? I’m not okay with this? “Nice butt.” He blurts out. Steve turns even redder and walks directly to the bathroom and closes the door.

              Bucky stands there uncertainly. He throws his clothes on because he can’t do this naked. “Stevie? Baby?” Bucky says sweetly to the closed door.

              “Yeah Buck?” Steve groans. Bucky can hear the sound of Steve stroking himself desperately. The corner of Bucky’s mouth twitches downward.

              “Do you want me to help?” Bucky offers even though he really doesn’t want to. Steve knows that though, that’s why he hasn’t said anything these past days.

              “No! I’m fine.” Steve pauses but still keeps his hand on himself. “Kids need to get to school. You should do that.”

              “Okay…” Bucky bites his lip before adding, “I’m volunteering today until fourteen hundred hours. So I’ll see you later?”

              Steve sighs loud enough that Bucky hears him from the other side of the door. This means Bucky won’t be at SHIELD, they won’t spar for a few hours, get hot for each other, then have fantastic make-up sex in their favorite closet. Or the shower. Or the floor of the locker room. Though honestly, Steve would probably just fuck his mate in the middle of the sparring mat _again_ at this point. “See you.” Steve tries to not sound like he’s just been made that much more miserable.

               “’Kay.” Bucky retreats feeling terrible about it.

.oOo.

                Unfortunately for the next generation of SHIELD agents, Steve is doing assessments. The words ‘Agent Assessment’ are written in big bold letters at the top of each one of the forms. He can’t figure out why that bothers him so much until he realizes the word ‘Ass’ is right there. Boy does that make him feel pathetic.

                Steve likes to be encouraging to the new people. Natasha is the one they fear, Steve’s more of a supportive idol. Not today. Steve watches each agent and marks down every little thing he sees them do wrong. It’s especially brutal because they’re working on tactical decisions, Steve’s forte. He writes furiously while Natasha just holds her clipboard looking worried. She texts Sam discretely to tell him to come do something before Steve fails the whole class.

                Sam comes walking into the observation room casually. He ran their as fast as he could before that. “Hey man, how you doing?” Sam greets. Steve looks up from his clipboard.

                “I’m fine. You?” Steve’s mentally comparing all of these agents to Bucky and finding them pitiably lacking. It crosses his mind that every single one of those people would probably have sex with him if he asked. Not that he would or even would want to. It just pisses him off that he could have sex with pretty much anyone and the one person he wants is uncomfortable with it.

                “Alrighty then.” Sam smacks his lips. “You my friend are a liar.” Sam says firmly.

                “Excuse me?” Steve glares at him with more hostility than he’s ever shown Sam before.

                “You just wrote down ‘Improper hair length’.” Sam crosses his arms, standing his ground. Steve looks at the person he just wrote that about. Not only does that have nothing to do with what he’s judging them on, that man’s hair is of exactly the correct length. His only crime is that he does not have slightly messy, shoulder length, soft brown hair.

                “You… have a point.” Steve puts down his pen.

                “So what’s wrong with Bucky?”

                Steve slaps his clipboard down on a table and sits down. He runs his fingers through his short hair, scratching his scalp to try and relax. “I’d ask how you know that, but the only thing that ever bothers me this much is Bucky.”

                “We should probably tell them to take a break.” Natasha says with her hands on her hips. “I’ll take care of it.” She could just use the intercom but she chooses to go and tell them in person. That’s rather merciful, Steve thinks.

                Steve avoids eye contact with Sam. “Bucky and I haven’t... I mean we-." Steve grumbles, "Haven't had sex in four days.” Steve says stiltedly. Sam nods slowly.

                “Is that… not normal?” Sam raises an eyebrow. “Because that sounds pretty normal to me… and you know, everyone else.”

                Steve stares at the wall and then finally looks at Sam. “When things are normal, like they are now, we have sex six or seven times a week. If it’s a really good week or a really bad week, sometimes twice a _day_. We don’t keep track during heat week.”

                Sam is both appalled and mystified. “That’s really not normal.”

                “I know.” Steve leans his head against the wall. “We used to be normal once. Before the serum we were just like regular couples. Then the serum happened but we were still in a war. There wasn’t a surplus of privacy or time for that.” Steve puffs out his cheeks the makes a popping noise with his mouth. “I know I’m spoiled. The years he and I have lived in relative peace have been really good for our sex life. I’m in the habit of having it. Now I’m all messed up.” Steve expounds.

                “What screwed it up for you?” Sam asks, trying to push aside how insane this is.

                “Bucky has a kink that he’s not quite sure about. He says he needs time, so I’m giving it to him.” Steve rubs his eye. “But you know, not like that.”

                Sam nods a few times. “I think you’re doing the right thing. Just don’t ruin the new agents, they will cry.” Sam points at the observation window. Steve cringes and nods.

                “I’m going to need new sheets.” Steve pauses. “Of paper.”

                “You’re really pathetic when you’re horny.” Sam observes while trying not to laugh.

                “Thanks Sam, you’re a good friend.”

.oOo.

                It’s lunchtime at school. Bucky sits in his SUV eating a sandwich while he listens to music and stares at his phone. He wants to call Steve but he doesn’t know what he could possibly do to make him feel better short of asking him to come fuck him in the back of the car. Bucky really wants that. He’s just terrified that if Steve does have sex with him it won’t be good unless he’s got his stupid collar. What’s he supposed to do with that? His libido is unusually high this week. He’s only got ten days until his next heat. That means he starts on New Year’s Eve. That should be lots of fun. The fireworks are going to freak him out he’s sure. He might feel better if he’s wearing his collar. His collar does make him feel oddly safer. He really wants his collar.

                “No I don’t. I don’t need it.” Bucky tells himself. That’s probably a lie. He doesn’t want to be so vulnerable. But he does want Steve. Badly. He frowns and squints one eye. He whimpers as he shifts in his seat. He really needs to get over this already. He has permission from everybody except for himself. He just can’t figure out why this bothers _him_. Bucky finally texts Steve. After what he witnessed this morning Bucky wouldn’t be surprised if Steve had turned to humping a heavy bag at this point. This is so not fair to his poor mate.

                **Bucky: Hey Stevie. You doing okay?**

                Steve answers him immediately.

**Stevie: Sam just called me pathetic but other than that. Fine.**

**Bucky: I’m sorry Baby. I feel shitty for doing this. I’ll take care of you when I get home okay?**

**Stevie: Buck, you don’t have to do that.**

**Bucky: I want to, though.**

**Stevie: To be clear so I don’t think we’re talking about something else, what does ‘take care of me’ mean?**

                Bucky gets a wicked, mean-spirited, but also beautiful idea. He’s never done it before but he’s pretty sure he knows how to. Bucky checks that the switch that tints the windows is on. No one can see into the SUV.

**Bucky: I think I’ll start by putting my hand down your pants to just hold you until you beg me for more.**

.oOo.

                Steve stares at the message Bucky just sent him. He’s done a lot of things in his life that he’d consider sins. What he’s about to do belongs on that list. Steve does not give explanation for why he walks out of the observation room. He assumes Natasha will catch on. Steve hides in his favorite closet and texts Bucky back.

**Steve: That won’t take long. What then?**

.oOo.

                So the bait has been taken. Bucky smirks proudly to himself.

**Bucky: I wanna feel you all over. It’s been a few days. Something might be changed. Wanna make sure you smell like me.**

**Stevie: Can I touch you too?**

**Bucky: Yes. Anywhere you like. I want you to give me marks on my neck. I could get off on just you touching me. Could you?**

**Stevie: I could get off on just this conversation.**

**Bucky: You could get started without me.**

**Stevie: I’ve done that way too much lately. I want you to help.**

**Bucky: I can do that. What do you want from me?**

**Stevie: Whatever you’ll give me.**

**Bucky: I’m all yours Baby, you just have to ask.**

**Stevie: Want you to blow me.**

**Bucky: Want me to swallow you up?**

**Stevie: yes. Wat to feel your tongue**

**Bucky: I’m going to get you so hard with my mouth. Then when you can't take it no more I'm going to climb onto you and ride you until you come inside me.**

                Bucky unzips his pants to relieve the pressure on his dick. He’s got another problem. His boxer-briefs are already wet and about to get soaked if he doesn’t do something. He’s close enough to his heat now that he’s slicking up more than he normally would. This is a problem. He’s got a little more than thirty minutes before he needs to be back in the classroom. He can’t go back in there with a mess of slick dripping out of him. Bucky’s a mom, he has everything in the SUV. Everything. That includes emergency supplies for instances like this. Bucky opens the glove box and pulls out _his_ emergency kit. The only thing in the kit is the essential survival tool for all working class omegas: A medium sized, flexible anal plug. Bucky pulls down his pants to about mid-thigh. Just enough so that he can push the thing into himself. He gently arranges it so he can sit in close to comfort. That should keep him dry for a few hours. His body holds onto the plug like it’s a knot. It feels good and serves its purpose. Bucky doesn’t even think of these things as sex toys. He’s used one of these since he had to work at the docks. He knows he’s got a spare pair of underwear in the back too. He pulls his pants back on and climbs in the back to go find the bag he keeps spare clothes in. By the time he’s dressed in something that does not reek of fertile omega, Steve still hasn’t texted him back.

**Bucky: Stevie?**

**Stevie: Sorry. I just came all over everything and now I have to figure out how to clean this up. Also how to get to the locker room.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Poor Steve. This chapter is rough for him. Bucky's getting a little more confident though, so there's that. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	35. Chapter 35

                Bucky feels bad for laughing at his mate but he’s still snickering when he goes back to the classroom. Steve texts him again while Bucky is cutting out little paper stockings. So far he’s only fucked up two of them.

                **Stevie: The good news is, I got everything cleaned up including myself. Bad news is, I set off the fire alarm. SHIELD is shut down until they figure out what happened. Want me to get Billy and come see you?**

Bucky snorts. In other words, Steve is fleeing the scene before a security analyst goes through the footage and figures out what he did. There’s no surveillance in their closet but Bucky’s confident SHIELD will be able to piece together what happened.

                **Bucky: Sure. I bet the kids would be happy to have someone better at this than me.**

                Bucky flags down Mrs. Holland when he sees an opening. “My mate is going to come by. If you have something for him to do I’m sure he’d like to help.” He offers. She glances at the pile of massacred stockings.

                “Great! He can take over for you!” She says sounding relieved. Bucky must make a face because she corrects herself. “Or you two could work together?”

                “That might be nice.” Bucky never gives up on a mission but he will take reinforcements.

                Steve arrives with Billy fifteen minutes later. Bucky greets him in the hallway. He accurately predicted Steve would want a reunion kiss. Bucky pops open his face mask once he’s certain no one is looking. Steve approaches him quickly with Billy in one arm. Bucky only just has the mask off when his alpha grabs him by the ass with one hand and presses their lips together thirstily. Bucky jerks in his grasp. The rough treatment disturbs the plug inside him. Steve’s mouth muffles the soft moan he makes before he gets ahold of himself. Bucky smacks Steve in the chest, careful to avoid hitting Billy. Steve backs off respectfully but reluctantly. Bucky takes Billy from Steve and leans in to whisper to Steve, “Gimme a break, I’m trying not to leak everywhere.” Bucky spins around to open the door and go back inside. Steve can’t stop himself, not with Bucky that close. Steve surges forward to grip the door and go through it at the same time while Bucky’s in his way. The result is Steve grinding his hips forcefully against his mate’s sensitive rear.

                The omega in Bucky very nearly loses it. He’s only a few days away from heat, how is he supposed to not respond to that? Bucky fixes Steve with the most accusing, offended look. The alpha bows his head sheepishly. He knows he’s being bad. Bucky shakes his head and spirits Billy to the bean table he’s working at before Steve can continue to tease him.  

                Steve greets Mrs. Holland and sits down next to Bucky. They’re jammed in close together behind the table. Steve is quietly pleased by that. Bucky is far less comfortable. He’s got too much exposure to Steve’s scent and touch for this situation. He’s supposed to be doing crafts in his children’s classroom for fucks sake! Now all he can thing about is Steve bending him over the stupid bean table. It’s a good thing the children don’t have a sophisticated enough sense of smell to figure out what the adults are doing. Bucky takes firm hold of Billy. Billy seems befuddled but not objecting to being used as a chastity device. Bucky strokes Billy’s head and smells his hair.

                Steve watches Bucky between cutting out stockings distractedly. His fingers itch to touch him. His mouth particularly yearns to be of use. Bucky glances curiously over his shoulder at Steve every now and then. Steve knows Bucky is feeling this too. The omega worries his lower lip until it’s a sinful red color. He licks his lips occasionally leaving them with a thin sheen of saliva. Steve bides his time and plans what he’s going to do to that mouth later.

.oOo.

                 They drop the kids off at Sue’s right after school. Steve and Bucky are silent on the car ride home. Billy takes a nap when they get there. As soon as Billy is tucked in Steve literally sweeps Bucky off his feet and carries him into their bedroom.

                 “Damn it Stevie!” Bucky protests weakly. Steve sets him down on their bed face down. Bucky whines with his behind up in the air. Steve eagerly pulls the clothes away from Bucky’s hips until he’s bare save for the plug between his cheeks. Steve knows exactly what he’s going to do with that. He bends down low. Using one hand to stabilize himself on the bed and the other to hold Bucky’s hip, he leans in to kiss the messy, pink area around Bucky’s hole. Bucky spasms and moans as Steve licks in between the plug and his stretched out flesh. He works his tongue counter clockwise until his mate’s entrance drips in anticipation. Steve growls proprietarily at the sight. Bucky whimpers back to him in response. It’s a non-verbal ‘You’re mine’ ‘I’m yours’ between them. Steve shifts again, taking Bucky’s firm buttocks in each hand and holding them spread. Bucky hums and buries his face in his folded arms.

                 Steve licks and sucks away a few arrant drops of lubricant that managed to seep out while he was playing with Bucky. The omega keens for more than that. Steve mercifully obliges. He lowers his head but this time rather than avoiding the plug, he bites down on it with his teeth and slowly starts working it out of his mate with nothing but his mouth. It takes Steve a full minutes before he’s decided Bucky is out of his mind with desire. Then he finally pulls back until the thickest part of the plug comes free of Bucky’s body. Bucky, now a sweaty, shaky, sex crazed, mess, looks behind him at his mate. His ridiculously handsome alpha brandishes the plug between his teeth in a smirk. Bucky can’t even look. He hides his face and whines for more. Steve sets the plug to the side and kisses the small of his mate’s back.

                “What do you want?” Steve purrs to him as he strokes Bucky’s left ass cheek with the pad of his thumb. With his right hand he slowly slides a couple fingers into his mate. Bucky yips at the sudden stretch but takes it like a champ. The plug did a lot of the prep work for Steve.

                “You! Whatever you want!” Bucky doesn’t know what else exists beyond that.

                “I want to make you feel good…” Steve kicks himself mentally for doing this but he’d be the worst kind if he didn’t. “But I also want you to be comfortable with what we do together.” He gingerly removes his fingers from his mate. “Not like last time.” Steve admits. That’s why he hasn’t taken his clothes off yet. As much as he urgently needs to be inside his mate, he also needs Bucky to be at ease. He can’t have these past four days happen again. Not this close to heat week, not ever if he can help it.

                Bucky huffs and lazily rolls over onto his back so he can look at Steve in the eye. “You didn’t do anything wrong. That was all me.”

                “But _you_ didn’t do anything wrong either.” Steve insists. Bucky sits up and leans back on The Weapon. With his other hand he pulls Steve in for a kiss to tie himself over form the rest of this (hopefully short) conversation.

                “Look I don’t have all of the answers here. Especially not about that. We only used it once but already I’m thinking about it all the time.” Bucky admits. Steve strokes his mate’s hair. “Like, what if it’s not as good anymore without it?”

                “Then I’ll train you out of it if it bothers you that badly or we’ll use it all the time. Do you want it tonight?” Steve nuzzles the side of Bucky’s face down into the crook of his neck. Steve realizes Bucky is completely still. He looks up at the stunned expression of lust on his mate’s face and realizes he said something right.

                “You’d train me?” Bucky asks breathlessly. His chest is starting to rise and fall faster.

Steve takes in how strung out Bucky looks. Bucky would let him do anything to him if he wanted. _Anything._ “Only if it was safe for you.” Steve asserts. Bucky clearly has a complicated kink for this stuff but Steve’s not going to indulge that if it crosses into unhealthy territory.

                “Stevie it’s you. Nothing you do is bad for me. You couldn’t treat me more differently from Hydra if you tried.” Bucky leans forward and presses their lips together. “You would never.” Bucky simpers delectably at his mate. Steve isn’t sure how Bucky’s done it, but somehow the omega has his legs wrapped around his waist. Bucky slowly grinds against him, holding his erection against the pit of his body. “I wouldn’t mind a few new lessons on how to behave. Especially if my alpha’s teaching me.” Bucky licks his lips. Steve’s brain seems to have taken up residence in his balls because that sounds like a heavenly idea.

                “We should go get your collar. Better make sure it’s not the only thing that gets you hot anymore.” Steve husks to his enraptured mate. Bucky kisses him again and sighs happily.

                “I have a sneaking suspicion it isn’t.” Bucky teases.

                “Right but I mean…” Steve clears his throat. “What if?” Steve winks. Bucky bites lip to stop from chuckling and holds his mate close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologizes but there will not be sex following this chapter. Next chapter is the movie. But look! Bucky figured his thing out! What a good omega! Now for that awful movie, Christmas, and some other stuff. I think I am going to postpone the disaster in favor of making this a longer story by about ten chapters. I was originally aiming for fifty but this thing might end up in the sixties like it's predecessor.


	36. Chapter 36

                As soon as Bucky has his collar on he loses all inhibition again. He starts right into desperate begging the second the buckle is clasped. Steve let’s Bucky make good on his earlier promise to ride him. Bucky urgently rocks his hips back and forth, stirring his mate’s cock inside him. The alpha discovers that if he gives his mate the control, Bucky will talk dirty as long as his mouth is unoccupied.

                “Want you to keep this on me forever so I can be your submissive little slut. I don’t feel bad when I’ve got it on. Feel like I can do and say all the things I’m always thinking.”

                “I wonder if I could handle keeping my vibrator inside me all day like a plug? It’s so big, I’m sure someone would notice. I’d come on it and everyone would see. I’d be so embarrassed but so fucked out I wouldn’t care. I wonder if I could even walk with it in?”

                “’M so close! Quick pull on my tits or I won’t be able to!”

                “Stretch me out! You don’t have to be careful with me! I’ve birthed your children, your knot ain’t gonna break me! That’s it! Like that! Fuck you’re so good! Knot me! Knot me! Fuck it in me so I can keep every last drop! I promise I’ll take good care of it! Let me keep it all and make you something real nice, Stevie! Uh! ”

                By the time they finish Bucky’s debased himself down to the level of piece of ass. As soon as Bucky’s come down from going over the moon Steve takes his collar off him and whispers back,

                “No you’re not. You’re the love of my life. You’re so good and so perfect. Your body does just the right things. I don’t care what you do I’m going to take care of you through it. You want to shove that fake dick inside you and parade around, I’ll be right there to tell people not to touch. You want them to see you come, I’ll be there to hold you through it. I’ll even hold it inside you so you don’t push it out with your tight ass. You want to talk like a shipyard bitch in heat? I don’t care how dirty your mouth is, I’ll always kiss it. I don’t care if you want to retire and just lay around and breed. You can do that. I’m always here.”

                Bucky nuzzles his mate lovingly with tears in his eyes. They nap, then go pick up their kids.

.oOo.

                The following day Bucky takes a longer time than usual in the bathroom. He knows he should just take the little pink pill already. He’s already four days behind. If he doesn’t take this one, his heat suppressants will almost certainly not work to dampen his heat let alone be affective against preventing a pregnancy. It’s not that big a deal. They always use condoms ever since he got pregnant with Billy while he was still taking suppressants. Bucky sighs and stashes the pack of pills away in the back of his drawer for this kind of stuff.

                Bucky finds the rest of the family in the kitchen. The kids are eating breakfast and talking. Steve is on his cell phone looking frustrated. Steve points at the phone and lips the name ‘Fury’. Bucky rolls his eyes heavenward. Billy sits in his high chair making a mess of his breakfast. He’s looking perturbed by his share this morning.

                “What?” Bucky says as he approaches him. Billy’s lip shakes from scowling so hard at his food. He’s making the face that begs to be breast fed.

                “Cow!?” Billy appeals.

                Bucky ignores him. “Don’t want the peaches?” Bucky spoons up the chopped up peach for him. Billy shakes his head defiantly. “Suck it up Big Boy, you have to grow up.” Bucky warns. “Come on, eat.” He holds out the spoon. Billy screeches for a split second. He holds his body as far away as he physically can from the peaches.

                Bucky puts the spoon back in the cup and picks Billy up instead. Billy thinks he’s getting his way. He tries to burrow into Bucky’s sports bra to get his breakfast there.

                “Cow!”

                “Hey!” Bucky scolds. “Knock it off!” Bucky holds him differently so he can’t get to him like that. Billy protests noisily. “That’s not for you anymore. You’re the big baby now!”  

                “What do you mean he’s ‘The Big Baby’?” Jamie asks, stirring his soggy Coco Puffs. “He’s the only baby?”

                Bucky blinks rapidly for a moment before clenching his eyes shut and pinching the bridge of his nose. “Yeah! He is, I was just- I’m just trying to tell him he’s got to grow out of that.”

                “How old were we when we stopped?” Sasha asks.

                “Three…” Bucky grumbles. He grabs a rag off the counter and starts cleaning up the mess Billy made of the peaches. “Hey, do me a favor and don’t defend him? I know it’s your job, but Mom needs support too. Get your stuff for school.” Bucky tell them. “Come on hurry, hurry.” The twins dump out the rest of their cereal and rinse off the dishes before running to get their coats.

                Steve hangs up the phone. “Problem with our date today. Fury needs me to come in.” Steve tells his mate. Bucky checks that his kids’ folders are in their backpacks while he listens to Steve.

                “So what’s that mean for our date?”

                “Can we move it to tonight?” Steve entreats hopefully?

                Bucky sighs. He doesn’t want to go on opening night. He’s said again and again, _not opening night_.

                “Mommy…” Sasha looks at him uncertainly. “Are you having another baby again?” Sasha asks concernedly. Bucky’s brain short circuits.

                “Yes!” He barks. Sasha, Jamie, and Steve stare at him, stunned. Bucky waves his hands around. “I mean no! God! What’s wrong with you!? Of course I’m not pregnant! How could I be I haven’t had my heat yet? I meant ‘yes’ to the date! Shit!” Bucky thinks he just visibly saw Steve’s heart lurch like it did back in the thirties. Bucky glares at his pesky kids. “You guys need to have the talk, you’re scaring people.”

                “What talk?” Jamie questions.

                “No one tells us anything!” Sasha protests.

                “Let’s get in the car!” Steve yells to try and tame this situation. “We can talk about it, calmly, in the car.” He asserts.

.oOo.

                Steve and Bucky resolve to have the PG version of The Talk with their children before Bucky’s next heat. They ride to SHIELD wordlessly after coming to that decision. Two blocks from the parking garage Bucky finally pipes up.

                “What time do you want to go to the show tonight?” Bucky asks with his forehead pillowed in the palm of his hand.

                “Sometime after eight would be good. We should take the kids out to celebrate the end of their restriction. Maybe pizza?” Steve suggests.

                “Are we going to ask Nat and Barton to watch them tonight then?”

                “Why not? I’m sure the kids would like to hang out with them. They’ve been stuck with us for two weeks after all.”

                “You’re right.” They fall into awkward silence again.

                “You okay, Buck?” Steve asks.

                “I’m fine. I’m just in pre-heat, I’ll be fine.”

.oOo.

                Steve and Bucky take a second to just look at the poster for the movie they’re going to. It’s alright artistically, Steve decides. Bucky disapproves of everything from the typeface to the angle that the actors look at each other from.

                “I’m not that short.” Bucky complains as Steve uses the kiosk to get their tickets.

                “Well they work with what they’ve got, I guess.” There are a lot of people at the theater. Steve is happy to see almost everyone is either to consumed with their date or their phone to notice the subject of the film waiting in line next to them. Steve holds Bucky’s hand comfortingly while the wait in line at the snack counter. Steve leans in to whisper in Bucky’s ear. “You’re better looking than that actor.” Bucky cracks a smile and gives Steve a skeptical look.

                “Yeah right, Punk.” Bucky squeezes his mate’s hand. “You’re the one with star quality. How many movies you been in?” Bucky asks just loud enough so that Steve can hear. Steve blushes.

                “A few.” Fourteen short films and twenty seven advertisements for bonds.

                They buy two large popcorns and two large drinks. Steve can’t handle how expensive movies have become.

                “That was half our rent for the month!” Steve complains in a hiss. Bucky eats a handful of delicious movie popcorn. “For the price of the movie and snacks we could have lived in our apartment for a month in 1940!” He snaps to Bucky as they walk up to the guy that takes their tickets. They both skillfully do some small thing to look unrecognizable. Steve looks down with his baseball cap on, Bucky holds his phone up in front of his face like he’s looking at small text. The bored teenager taking tickets doesn’t think twice about them.

                 “Relax Steve, everything is expensive. My whole yearly salary couldn’t pay for one month’s rent in our suite now if Stark charged us.”

                 “Well obviously, it’s not exactly a normal living situation.”

                 “You know what I mean. You know how much groceries cost?”

                 “I try not to think about it.”

                 They go into the dark theater and discover there must be a hundred other people, mostly couples, there to see the movie too. Bucky sighs and follows Steve to the back of the theater. It’s dark and nobody is looking for them, he reminds himself.

                Bucky eats half his popcorn while he waits for the previews to start. Steve gives him a playful little nudge with his shoulder.

                “What?” Bucky scowls at him. “It’s almost my heat, I’m stocking up on calories.”

                “You’re nervous eating and you know it.”

                “Can’t it be both?” Bucky sticks another handful of popcorn in his mouth. Steve kisses his temple and readjusts his hold on mate’s hand.

                “Yes it can.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay I lied again. The movie got moved into the next chapter because this one just got too long. So now you get two chapters for the price of one! Or rather The Trollop wrote eight thousand words today because she couldn't figure out how the fuck to bridge to this one scene coming up later on because it seemed all out of the blue. Grrr. So now I have all of this unusable shit that won't even make it into the story most likely. Gah!
> 
> -The Trollop


	37. Chapter 37

_“ You didn’t have to do that!” The pre-serum version of Steve yells. “We could have figured something out, anything but that!” He breaks into a violent fit of coughing. Bucky dashes over to him._

_“Shut up and stop being such a punk about this! You have your medicine now take it or I’m going to force it down your throat!” He yells through tears. Bucky is covered in bruises and red marks around his neck. The makeup makes him look like he might have beard burn. He’s carefully covering as much skin as possible. Steve claws at Bucky’s shirt collar. Bucky tries to fight him off but he can’t really fight Steve when he’s so sick. “What are you doing!?”_

_“Did they bite you?” Steve manages to fight back a coughing fit long enough to ask. Bucky goes pliant in his hands._

_“No… no Stevie I didn’t get bonded.” Bucky hangs his head. Stevie holds either side of his face in his hands. Bucky’s eyes are red rimmed and sore looking. “You really think I’d let’um do that to me while I got you at home still breathin?” The slight, sickly alpha suddenly looks like someone lit a match inside his chest._

_“What’s that supposed to mean?” He asks weakly._

_“It means I already got an alpha. I don’t need no loser off the streets no matter how much cheese he’s got to spend on me.”_

_“Bucky… I-. I don’t-.”_

_“Steven Grant Rogers, don’t you lie to me and say you don’t feel the same way! You’ve been gone on me since we were just kids. Just as long as I’ve been gone on you.”_

_“But Buck, I-!” Steve breaks into rough, body shaking coughs that sting the viewer’s ears. Bucky gathers Steve into his arms._

_“Damn it Steve! Take your medicine!” Bucky grabs the little glass eyedropper. “Hold out your tongue!” Bucky manages to get Steve to take it and drink enough water to wash down the nasty taste. Bucky tucks him into their shared cot and spoons him tightly to his chest._

_“You could do so much better than me.” Steve tells Bucky once they’re comfortable._

_“No I couldn’t. Not by a long shot.”_

They had something damn close to that conversation in 1932. Bucky was fifteen and Steve was fourteen. It was four years earlier than they depict in the film. When they were the age they were in this scene, they’d already been mates for a year.

                _On screen, Steve is the Captain America the word is more familiar with. He just saved his mate from certain death at the hands of Hydra and Armin Zola. The first rescue Steve ever made is over and the members of the Howling Commandos have been introduced._

                Jacques Dernier has the wrong regional accent but otherwise the casting isn’t so bad.

_Bucky and Steve have found a moment alone in the darkness after getting free of the burning building._

_“Bucky!” Steve holds Bucky protectively in his arms. For the first time in their lives Bucky fits in them. He seems small by comparison. Bucky can’t stop crying into Steve’s sooty uniform._

_“Please don’t let me wake up. If this is a dream I just want to die in it.”_

_“Don’t you dare! Buck, this is real! I’m real!” Steve kisses him forcefully. “See? Would dream me be that bad at kissin?” Bucky shakes his head._

_“Wasn’t a bad kiss. Need another.” Steve smashes their lips back together again. The exchange is sloppy, desperate, and heated. Bucky is still crying when it’s over but his breathing seems more even at least._

_“You okay Cap?” Dugan’s voice comes from a distance off._

_“Yeah! We’re fine, we just need another minute.”_

_Months later, they’ve become the Howling Commandos. Bucky winds up with a dud pack of heat suppressants. They make him violently ill. Steve just about loses it over what to do. Bucky’s going to go into heat and they are geographically in the worst place on earth. Steve’s solution is to stop all movements of their unit for two weeks and temporarily let Hydra slip away, all so Bucky can have a safe place to be for the week. Bucky is too sick to help Steve build the shelter he makes for them. A military issue tent wasn’t going to cut it. The Howlies give them both shit over it. Steve progressively gets more and more protective over his mate until at one point he actually punches Gabe Jones for offering Bucky food. That’s when the guys know it’s time to give them a wide berth for the week._

When Bucky’s heat finally ebbed, he and Steve returned to The Howlies and discovered that Gabe’s eye had completely swollen closed for the past two days. To the day he died Gabe had worse vision in that eye.

                _The sex scenes inside their shelter are intimate and erotic. The only thing that keeps the scenes from being NC-17 is the lack of full frontal nudity. The sex lasts at least three minutes in montages with little tid-bits of conversation between newly renewed vigorous lovemaking._

_After that, the film implies pretty heavily that Bucky got pregnant during that week._

_“So we got what? About nine months to win the war now? How we gonna do it?” Dugan jokes around the campfire after taking down another Hydra base. Steve gives him a very disapproving look._

_“By not pissing off the Sergeant for one.” Steve tells him as he sips some horrible coffee._

_“I will shoot you Dugan.” Bucky threatens from where he reclines against Steve’s side._

_“You sure an omega in your condition ought to be handling a firearm?” Dugan never knew when to quit. Bucky spits at him and flips him off. He doesn’t deny it though. Maybe giving any resistance would just legitimize the situation. It wouldn’t be so funny anymore if he had to try and defend against being knocked up and not have any defense. It happened to thousands of omegas during the war. They got a bad batch of pills and then that was it. They partnered up with an alpha in their unit and they went home with a bun in the oven. Only Bucky couldn’t do that, he couldn’t leave Steve._

In retrospect, Steve’s greatest regret during the war was not declaring what had happened with Bucky’s suppressants. He could have had Bucky sent home away from danger. Bucky would have never fallen from the train, Steve would have landed that plane instead of crashed it, they would have gone home together as national heroes.

                _Bucky falls from the train. Steve is inconsolable. The movie depicts Steve’s last days before the ice as a living hell for him. Rather than paint him as a selfless, patriotic martyr when he crashes that plane, the movie makes it very clear that he’s doing it because he doesn’t have a choice. He doesn’t want to live anymore. His reason for living is gone. This is the best possible way out he’s going to get and he takes it._

                Steve’s last words to Peggy and Phillips were pleas of forgiveness for not taking care of the one thing that mattered.

                _After the plane hits the ice the movie jumps forward in time to the next time Bucky and Steve meet. Bucky is The Winter Soldier now and Steve is Captain America. The ending scene is a full minute of Steve alone in a room crying with a smile on his face, thanking God._

.oOo.

                The lights come up in the theater and Bucky and Steve are still sitting there shell shocked. Some of that was total bullshit but other parts were incredibly spot on. Steve looks at Bucky. He spent the whole time after the train scene holing Bucky’s hand like the floor might suddenly fall away. Like hell Steve is ever letting him fall again! He thinks about it a lot, just usually not with a fucking _visual aid_. The two Super Soldiers stare at each other uncertainly. They lunge for each other in practiced unison to kiss passionately. Bucky knocks off Steve’s stupid hat and throws a leg into Steve’s lap so he has something to slowly rut against.

                “Excuse me I can’t get passed.” A person says to their left. Steve and Bucky look at the person trying to exit and the people behind him. The person that said something gets a good look at their faces and suddenly recognizes them. “Holy shit!” The young guy exclaims. Steve gives him a particularly unimpressed, judgmental look.

                “Son, just go the other way.” A couple of people snap pictures. Bucky decides to give them something to take a picture of. He returns to placing wet, hot kisses on his mate’s lips with his arms flung around his shoulders. Steve actually pulls Bucky so he fully straddles him.

                Someone takes a picture of Captain America grabbing his mate’s ass while The Winter Soldier flips off the camera with the exposed fingers of The Weapon. The picture becomes the most viewed thing on the internet that weekend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are so many projects I have to work on before I get there, but eventually I want to write about Bucky and Steve from the period where Steve hits the road with the USO shows to when Bucky falls off the train. That is a LONG way off though. This is kind of a nice teaser though, right? 
> 
> -The Trollop


	38. Chapter 38

                Steve can hardly wait to get his mate home. It takes all of his willpower to keep Bucky from blowing him while he drives. Bucky teases himself instead. That is actually more distracting in Steve’s current state of mind. They dash up to the suite to grab Bucky’s collar then take the most direct route to their heat room and lock the door. It takes hours for them to get themselves back under control. Steve didn’t think it was possible to be more enthusiastic in bed than he was the day before. He proves himself wrong. After round ‘lost count’ Bucky somehow manages to drag his boneless mate to the bathtub for more intimate kissing. By that point they can’t touch anything below the belt, it’s all too sensitive.

                “Buck?” Steve holds Bucky draped over him up to their chests in warm bath water.

                “Hmm?” Bucky hums to him. He has his cheek rested against Steve’s shoulder. His hand draws patterns on Steve’s bicep. The arm of The Weapon is hooked over the edge of the tub on Steve’s other side.

                “Did you like date night?” Steve asks with a sly smirk.

                “The movie was depressing and the people were jackasses.” Bucky mutters.

                “The sex though?”

                “Yesss.” Bucky groans against Steve’s skin. 

                 Steve runs his fingers up and down Bucky’s side. His thumb grazes Bucky’s right nipple.

                “Oh!” Bucky gasps. His toes curl. “Dammit!” Bucky protectively covers his nipples from any further meddling. “Easy with those!” Bucky hisses.

                Steve watches him curiously. “Someone’s sensitive.”

                “Well, you know…” Bucky mutters as he pushes some wet hair out of his face. “Post-fuck, pre-heat they get like that.”

                Steve gives Bucky a speculative look. “Not normally?” Steve should know, he knows Bucky’s body better than Bucky does.

                “You don’t know everything Rogers.” Bucky pouts. He gives Steve’s neck a nip for being such a smartass.

                “Ouch! What?” Steve puts his hands firmly on Bucky’s waist. “What am I missing here?”

                “Nothing!”

                “Bullshit! You’ve been acting funny for days.”

                “I well I- I kind of, um…” Bucky mumbles.

                “Bucky just spit it out.” Steve tries to sound patient.

                “I didn’t start taking my suppressants yet!” Bucky admits, not looking Steve in the eye. They sit there in the cooling bath together, processing each other’s silence. Bucky finally gets up and grabs a towel.

                Steve’s eyes follow him as he moves. Finally he figures out which question he wants to ask first.

                “How many days behind are you?”

                “Five.” Bucky wraps the towel around his waist and leaves the bathroom. Steve gets out of the tub in a hurry once he realizes Bucky is literally leaving the conversation.

                “So you missed because of that thing with your collar?” Steve says loudly enough that Bucky should be able to hear him in the next room.

                “I don’t know. Maybe.” That was the day he was supposed to have started taking them. Bucky strips the sheets off the bed.

                “Ummm…” Steve leans against the doorway. “So if that’s not why, then why?”

                “I just… didn’t. I’ll start taking them tonight. We’ll be fine. We’ll just use condoms for backup like always.” Bucky glances up at Steve. “Relax.”

                “Right…” Steve rubs at his eyes. “I’ll, yeah. Do that.” Steve watches him change the sheets. Bucky looks up at him every few seconds. “Can I ask you something?”

                “What?” Bucky sighs and flops onto the newly clean bed. Steve sits down on the side of the bed next to him.

                “I just, I notice you’ve been saying things lately in bed and then this morning… just little things. I mean you’re not saying it in so many words.” Steve steels his nerves to just ask what he’s pushing around already. “Are you considering having another baby?” Steve finds himself holding his breath. Bucky swallows. He tries to answer a few times but nothing comes out of his mouth. “Because that’s not a problem for me at all.” Steve assures him.

                Bucky stares at Steve. “It’s probably just heat hormones. I hate being pregnant.” Bucky clears his throat. “And I mean we have three babies already, we probably don’t have room for a fourth. Literally, we have no more empty rooms.”

                “We could move.” Steve suggests noncommittally. Bucky catches a flash of desire in Steve’s expression despite how closely Steve is guarding himself. “We could go get a place of our own back in Brooklynn or… maybe in a town someplace?”

                Bucky raises an eyebrow at his mate. “The kind of place you can have a big, yellow dog?”

                “Yeah!” Steve’s luminous smile cuts through his apprehension like a knife. “I mean you and I are city kids through and through, but maybe our kids don’t have to be? I’ve always wanted to build a house from scratch. You could design it so it’s even safer than this place.” Steve snorts “It’d probably be safer just by not being the glowing target Stark Tower is.” Bucky chuckles with his mate.

                “I think you’re right.” Bucky agrees. Steve leans down to nuzzle his mate’s neck happily. Bucky wraps his arms around Steve to hold him there. Steve shifts so he’s lying comfortably next to Bucky.

                “So think about it?” Steve asks hopefully.

                “Moving?”

                “All of it.” Steve gives him a stern look that softens in an instant once his brain catches up to his mouth. “But I mean if this is just hormones, that’s okay too. You’re right, it’s probably easier to just stay like we are.”

                Bucky isn’t sold on Steve’s impartial act. “Just tell me, if I got knocked up again, do you want a boy or a girl?” This is a test and Steve knows it.

                “Do you have a preference?” He tries.

                “Answer me, Stevie.”

                “Girl. An Emily or a Molly.”

                Bucky scoffs and rolls his eyes to the side. “Yeah you’re not fooling anybody with that ‘no pressure’ shit.”

                “Buck!” Steve whines. “You know I’m not trying to do that to you! I know what I’d want because Remy has three girls and they are all such cute little princesses.” Steve justifies rapidly. “I always wanted Sasha to get into tea parties and pretty dresses and stuff but she never did. I was a little bummed.” He shrugs with one shoulder.

                Bucky sighs heavily again. “Just let me think about it.” Bucky rolls over and cuddles back into Steve so he’s the little spoon. Steve pulls the blankets over them. Steve settles in with his arm around Bucky’s waist. Steve starts to drift off after a couple of minutes. Bucky stays awake thinking. As Steve gradually falls deeper into sleep his hand starts idling stroking the hard plane of his mate’s stomach. Bucky slowly looks down at his mate’s adoring hand. Clearly Steve’s subconscious has plans for that part of him, Bucky thinks. As soon as that thought occurs to him he swats Steve’s hand away with all of his strength.

                “Ouch!!” Steve screams.

                “Fuck off!” Bucky vaults out of bed and scampers off to sleep elsewhere.


	39. Chapter 39

               The next morning Bucky seems to have cooled off. Steve hasn’t brought up procreation which helps. Bucky has also been distracted by the sudden tidal wave of texts from his friends. A lot of them saw that movie and the accompanying picture of Bucky and Steve.

                **Sue: OMG Bucky why didn’t you ever say anything about your first baby?! I can’t believe we went through all of that with you and we didn’t know! We must have been ripping you apart the whole time. Oh Honey I’m so sorry!**

Bucky grumbles irritably.

                **Bucky: Sue, calm down.  Stop believing everything you see in movies. Yeah I went into heat but Steve and I weren’t stupid. We stocked up on supplies before we hid. We used condoms the whole time. Steve got really worried anyway. He freaked out and had me taken to a big city to get a pregnancy test. I WAS NOT KNOCKED UP. Steve thought he should have sent me home anyway just to be safe but I didn’t let him.**

**Sue: Oh thank heaven! I was having a panic attack. You really need to make that clear. I think everyone that saw that movie is sitting at home broken hearted. Was the rest of it true?**

**Bucky: More than I’d like to admit.**

                Bucky rubs his forehead. Steve’s phone’s message noise goes off for the fifth time. Steve gives his phone a contemptuous look.

                “Stark thinks I should go on a talk show or something to clear this up.” Steve sits down on the couch next to Bucky. Billy goes running by with one of Sasha’s dolls.

                “Give it back you little butt face!” Sasha goes running after him. Billy successfully manages to avoid her while giggling maniacally. Jamie jumps out from behind a corner and scoops up his brother. Billy screams with delight. “Come on you’re caught, give it.” Sasha tries to pry her doll out of her brother’s hand but his grip is like a vice. “Mommy he won’t give it!”

                “Try asking him nicely?” Bucky doesn’t sound particularly convinced that will work. It rarely does with two year olds.

                “Pleas Billy, give it back?” Sasha tries. Billy smirks and clutches it to his chest.

                “My dolly!”

                “Maybe we should take them out? They must be pretty bored if they’ve resorted to this.” Steve suggests. Billy wiggles his way to freedom and then takes off again.

                “Oh come on Jamie you couldn’t hold him for ten more seconds!?”

                “You’re the one who can’t get him to let go!”

                “He’s super strong!”

                “He’s two!”

                “Okay stop arguing!” Bucky breaks in.

                “Why don’t we go do our Santa photo?” Steve asks his mate. Bucky grimaces. “Oh come on it’s the 23rd they won’t have Santa at the mall much longer. Let’s just go.” Steve has a thing about Santa photos. He thinks they’re adorable for some ungodly reason. Creepy guy in a red suit aside, the kids are ridiculously photogenic like their parents so the pictures do always come out excellent. The last minute trip to the mall would let them snag a few more stocking stuffers for the kids. Bucky exhales bitterly.

                “Fine. Kids, your daddy has given us orders to get fancy and go take a Santa picture.”

                “Is this a mission?” Sasha asks with a sly grin. Jamie doesn’t look as excited. Steve nods authoritatively.

                “Yes it is.”

.oOo.

                Jamie, Sasha, and Billy look adorable in their nice holiday clothes. Sasha is wearing a red velvet dress with a black bow around the middle. Her hair is up in a braided bun. Jamie is wearing nice dress slacks and a dark red sweater with a black tie. Billy has been relegated to the level of ‘ugly sweater baby’. With his hair parted like Steve’s and a sour look on his face he is the perfect picture of indignant. His only consolation for being dressed up in a sweater that walks the fine line between adorable and hideous is the red puffball on the reindeer’s nose. He pokes at it with a frown.

                Bucky on the other hand looks like hell. In the middle of braiding Sasha’s hair he got tired, hungry, and sore all at once. He was feeling really good up until then. Now his lower back feels terrible, his breast tissue is engorged, and he’s all cramped up. He sits in the passenger’s seat of the SUV rubbing his stomach, begging his body to give it a rest.

                “Mommy are you okay?” Sasha asks.

                “I’m fine Sweet Pea, I’m just not feeling very good.”

                “Are you sick?” Jamie asks.

                “No… um.” Bucky rubs the back of his neck. He really doesn’t want to explain this. “This is something that happens to omegas about four times a year. For about a week our bodies want us to have babies. It’s called heat.” The children look a little confused as to what this has to do with him. “My body’s getting ready to do that right now. In a couple of days I’ll be ready and then Daddy takes care of me for the week.” Steve bristles in the seat next to him. “Because that’s what mate’s do for each other during heat.”

                 Sasha blinks twice. “So you have sex during heat?” She asks calmly. Bucky takes a deep breath and tries to think happy thoughts.

                 “Yes. That’s what an omega’s body wants during heat. That’s how you make a baby.” Bucky explains awkwardly. Steve continues to be totally clammed up in the driver’s seat.

                 “Are you going to make a baby this time?” Jamie asks, unknowingly driving the knife in Bucky’s gut deeper.

                 “We… haven’t decided yet.” Bucky gulps and looks out the window to avoid looking at his mate and the hopeful look on his face. What was intended just to be a glance turns into studying something in the distance.

                 Bucky focuses on two black dots in the sky coming towards them from the east. Bucky doesn’t recognize what they are at first. “Steve there is something on our three.” Bucky says seriously. All strangeness from their earlier conversation is cut off by the sudden tension coming off of Bucky. The two black dots split off and become six. They look like single man craft or Iron man suits or… Bucky pulls the console covering open and hits the emergency beacon switch.

                 “Mommy what’s going on!?” Sasha yells. “Is this an emergency?” Steve reacts by hitting the gas. They ignore traffic signals and only barely avoid collisions. If Steve learned one thing from WWII it’s how to drive recklessly without getting hurt. But there is just so much traffic. 

                 “Shit!” Steve curses under his breath. Billy starts crying.

                 “Yes Sweet Pea this is an emergency.” Bucky unbuckles his seatbelt and climbs in the back with his kids. Sasha and Jamie pull out the siding of the doors and grab the anti-shrapnel coats, the bulletproof vests, and the collapsible helmets that are stored inside. They put them on hurriedly with shaking hands. “Don’t panic. Whatever you do you have to stay in control of yourself.” Bucky tells his children as he converts Billy’s car seat into a bomb-proof cocoon with the flick of a switch. Billy is further upset by the way it presses in around him tightly but he can deal with it for the sake of safety. “Steve how much time do we have?”

                 “Maybe two minutes until backup, fifteen seconds until incoming.” Steve reports as he turns the wheel violently to try and make their route back to the tower as fast as possible. When competing with an airborne pursuit speed is all they can defend with. However Bucky is never without an offensive strategy. Bucky undoes Billy’s seat fastenings and pulls out the backpack straps. Sasha takes the seat with her sobbing brother inside it and secures him to herself. “Buck, we’re not going to make the tower!” That’s what Bucky was afraid of. Bucky kisses the twins on the forehead.

                 “You’re going to be fine. You know what to do.”

                 “Stay under cover and run as fast as we can for home.” Jamie repeats. Bucky fishes the handguns out from under the seats and gives them to his children.

                 “They’re Doom Bots, one shot to the head will not disable them. You’re going to have to empty the clip.”

                 “Buck, rocket!” Steve yells. One of the Doom Bots must have just entered targeting range.

                 “Go!” Bucky yells to his children. Steve hits the brakes and unlocks the doors. Sasha and Jamie bolt out of either side and go sprinting. At an all-out sprint they can run twenty miles an hour. With their lives on the line Bucky is willing to bet they’re going faster.

                 Steve vaults onto the roof of the SUV and deflects the incoming rocket with his shield. Bucky grabs his guns out of the back and takes aim.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My hobbies include writing about happy families and toying with your emotions. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	40. Chapter 40

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note: WARNING FOR VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN. Also Bucky makes a brief laps in judgement because he is terrified. Please bare with me.

             The problem with Doombots is that they are incredibly hard to kill. Each one of them is a replica of their creator down to details that have fooled people into believing his bots actually are Doom. The only difference is, unlike a regular human, when you punch them through the sternum they grab you by the throat and choke you while their clone uses a lightning attack to fry you.

             This matters little in The Winter Soldier’s current frame of mind. He takes the shock to the back. He does not cry out in pain despite the fact these attacks are near incapacitating due to the metal attached to his body. A normal human would just be dead. Instead Winter breaks off the hand that chokes him with The Weapon. His human nerves may seize but his artificial ones are still functional thanks to an upgrade from Stark. The Weapon grabs the wires he just exposed and channels the electric shock to the Doombot, destroying it’s internal hardware.

             Steve nearly decapitates the bot attacking Bucky with his shield. The shield lodges in its neck. The damage is severe enough to kill the thing. Steve pulls his shield out and covers Bucky against a spray of bullets. The assault on The Winter Soldier ends abruptly. He temporarily collapses onto the street. Steve rushes to his side to assess the damage. He has to move him, they are surrounded by four more bots that have them pinned in the wreckage of four cars including their own. Steve pushes his limits by pulling Bucky, he has a dislocated shoulder and possibly a fractured everything-in-in-his-shoulder-area from his own grappling match. He wants to scream from the excruciating pain while dragging his mate but he must do it. “Buck, talk to me what’s wrong?” The Winter Soldier’s hand shakes from residual spasms as he pushes himself up off the concrete. The Weapon is still functional but his human body is being held together through sheer strength of will. He spots one of his duffle bags that must have exploded out of the SUV when the second rocket attack totaled it. He grabs a machine gun from it and sits back up, his face unreadable. Steve grabs a second gun from the bag.

              The sound of the Quinjet is like music to their ears. Natasha uses the heavy guns to bombard a bot with bullets. Winter and Steve focus fire at the two bots that Natasha is not aiming at. Doombots are fast and good at aerial combat.  The bot Natasha can’t hit flies for the Quinjet’s engines.

              Barton opens his side door and shoots off three arrows into the face of the oncoming Doombot. The first one is explosive. The two the follow are to take out its navigation. It veers to the left and explodes away from the jet. Barton spots more black dots on the horizon.

              “We’ve got more targets coming from our seven.” Barton says into his com. Bucky and Steve don’t have theirs. He can only hope they’re aware. Natasha uses the big guns to finish off the one remaining Doombot from this round. The Winter Soldier gets up and goes looking for a better position. He grabs his duffle bag. The wreckage of their SUV has burned out after exploding. Steve rips open the secret compartment in the back of the SUV now that it’s almost cool enough to grab bare handed. Almost. By design it wasn’t destroyed. The compartment was intended to survive catastrophic damage. Inside is The Winter Soldiers weapon of choice, a .950 JDJ.

               It’s 110 pounds of instant kill. It fire the highest caliber bullets ever produced for a sniper rifle. It is more similar to a 20 mm auto cannon than guns in it’s class. The force of a single bullet is equal to being hit by a 2,800 automobile going 20 mph. With 200 pounds of recoil it’s impossible for a normal human to shoulder. It was practically built to be utilized by The Weapon. Steve hands his mate his gun purposefully. Iron Man is coming up behind the new group of bots, Natasha and Clint in the Quinjet will help with that. That takes away their cover and now there’s a third group coming from the west. Not a problem. Steve has his automatic in case something gets close enough to hit. The Winter Soldier shoulders his gun and takes the first shot without using the scope. The first bot falls out of the sky. Bucky reloads and fires again and again. The bots are fast. They get within Steve’s range before Bucky has finished off the last two. Steve open fires. The Winter Soldier catches movement on his nine.

               “Steve!” Steve holds up his shield in time to block the majority of the bullets. They sent in bots from the ground too. Clever and unfortunate. Steve got hit in the leg. Winter takes out the last two airborne bots. He spots three on the ground. He was expecting more. He discovers the cause charging at them like a freight train. The Hulk has been depleting the ground support it seems. He rips apart the two bots right after Winter puts a slug in the face of the one that hit Steve’s. The Hulk ambles over to Steve in concern. Steve holds his injured leg. Winter sees that it’s bleeding far more than it would if it was just a flesh wound. “That needs attention now.” Winter tells him. Steve knows that. He rips off his sleeve and ties it around the bleed.

               “Hulk, hospital.” Steve tells his teammate. The Hulk understands. He picks up Steve as gently as he can and bounds to the closest emergency room. The Winter Soldier estimates they’ll get there in less than three minutes at The Hulks pace. Steve will be okay, he won’t bleed out that fast.

                That leaves The Winter Soldier on the ground, alone, almost out of ammo. The Quinjet and Iron man are nowhere in sight. They must have pursued or been pursued. Winter suspects it was probably the former. He hears shots on the ground a few blocks away. He doesn’t know who that is but he’s assuming they need help. He slings the rifle’s case with the few remaining bullets inside over his shoulder and runs with his rifle at the ready.

.oOo.

                Sasha and Jamie come sprinting into the lobby of Stark Tower so fast that they shatter the door by running through it. Slowing down seemed like a waste of momentum. Darcy is anxiously waiting for them. She was on her way to the shelter but she just couldn’t bring herself to go without the kids.

                “Oh my god!” She screams when they come barging in. Sasha whips off the backpack with Billy in it and hands him over to Darcy. “I was so scared! Are you okay? Are your parents okay?

                “ _Darcy, Cap’s been hospitalized._ ” Natasha reports over the com. The twins pick up the message. They both know what that means. Their mommy is on the ground with no support.

.oOo.

                The plan was simple. Go help Mommy, bring ammo and knives. They did the last part by grabbing what they could carry from The Winter Soldier’s stash of weapons under the Stark Industries front desk. They take the alleys because they provide fewer points of confrontation. They turn the wrong way once and discover their enemy lying in wait. They were not planning on running into enemy ground support. Ten Doombots target the two of them. The children freeze for a split second when they first see them. Then something else takes over.

                Ever since they were Billy’s age their mother has been training them for situations like this. Each of them has more training hours than midlevel SHIELD agents. They spar with their mother but Bucky never hits them. He mimics how he would strike but never touches. The children are fast. Bucky may not hit them but he doesn’t hold back from blocking and using defensive moves. Steve, Barton, Wade, and Natasha can hit him in an official sparring match where hits are counted for points. Dozens of agents have tried and failed to get even one hit on him. Both of his children can score a few points in a match against Bucky. They are stronger than regular adult humans at the age of eight. For all these reasons Sasha and Jamie are not afraid of charging into battle.

                “Six!” Jamie yells. Sasha jumps and kicks the Doombot behind her several paces. She squats down while Jamie shoots it with the two pistols in his hands. Once it’s guidance system is out Sasha palm hand strikes it with an EMP charge from a device that looks a little like one of Iron Man’s blasters. They hear the faint electrical charging buzz from one of the bots that happens just before they fire a lightning attack. Sasha flips backwards onto another Doombot’s shoulders while Jamie jams a knife in it’s stomach to use like a handle. They work together to flip it and use it as a shield from the other Bot’s attack. While they take cover Sasha fires six shots into the Doombot’s head. She reaches into her bag of ammo and reloads.

                “Three!” She directs. A bot pushes aside a large dumpster they were using to cover their three.  Jamie yells savagely. He jumps, Sasha propels him by the feet. He kicks the Bot under the chin. It’s head goes flying off. Sasha lets out on bark of laughter. Then a bot grabs her from behind and tosses her like a rag doll.

                “Sasha!” Jamie screams. The battles spills out of the alley into the roadway. The cars that would normally be moving have been abandoned. People take shelter in the buildings. Sasha goes flying into the side of an abandoned car.

                “Ung!” She cries. The metal bends, the glass shatters, Sasha struggles to catch her breath. She managed to hold onto her guns when she was thrown. She can’t breathe but she can still pull a trigger. Her aim is off because of the blurred vision but she still slows down the two bots that come after her. Jamie takes better shots but a bot comes after him from a different direction, forcing him to redirect his fire.

                Sasha climbs through the damaged car to get away from the attackers that are cornering her. Another bot lands down on the other side of the car. She’s trapped. Jamie runs out of bullets. The Doombot tries to crush his skull with a punch. He manages to dodge the full force of it but his left ear gets nicked. The next punch is for Jamie’s gut. That one connects. Sasha starts screaming hysterically, for herself and for her brother.

                Then out of nowhere the bot attacking Jamie has no head. Jamie is stunned by the sound of the gun. He has an earplug in one ear but the other one got knocked out by the punch. His left ear rings. A black and dark brown flash passes him by. Sasha watches as her mother literally tears the bots apart. They electrocute him, the force from stopping their blows must be enough to fracture bones, one tries to tear the weapon off in turn; The Winter Soldier does not stop. He rips them apart and crushes their heads under his boot. When there is nothing left to kill he stands outside the car taking heavy breaths too quickly.

                In a nearby building, unbeknownst to the family of heroes, someone takes out their cellphone and starts taking pictures of what is certainly The Winter Soldier and whom they can only assume are his children. Based on what they just witnessed it’s hard to come up with another explanation for the children’s skill and The Soldier’s reaction to them in harm’s way.  

                The Winter Soldier tears the door off the car and scoops out his daughter. Jamie comes running over to them. Bucky grabs both of them by the shoulders, unadulterated fury in his eyes. He slaps them both on the cheek in turn so hard it leaves a red mark. It brings tears to their eyes but not from the pain. Their mother has never struck them once in their whole lives. This is the highest form of shame Bucky could bestow.

                “You will _never_ do that again!” Bucky hisses through gritted teeth. He sucks in air unevenly as his expression softens to a mix of terror and relief. Bucky pulls them both into his arms and holds them tighter than he’s ever held them. The last time they were so snug to their mother they were in the womb. The twins wrap their arms around their mommy too. They’re reminded of something their father sometimes tells them. ‘Give Mommy a kiss, he needs it.’ Sasha and Jamie kiss Bucky’s cheeks in virtually the same place Bucky slapped them a moment before. Bucky chokes on a sob and holds their heads to his shoulders. Gently he strokes their disheveled hair. Sasha’s braid fell out of the bun. They’re still wearing their Christmas outfits. “I love you. I’m so sorry I hit you. I was just so scared.” Bucky says in a whisper. “I thought…” Bucky bites his lip. “ _Please_ , don’t ever do that to me again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See action, it's not all rainbows and unicorn poop. Believe it or not this isn't even the disaster I was referring to in previous end notes, though we do see the beginning of it start here. Thanks for the all amazing comments! I really love getting them. 
> 
> -The Trollop
> 
> Edit: I really hope that you realize Bucky slapped them because he loves them. It's not the ideal action but given the potentially devastating consequences of what had just transpired I hope you can forgive him as his family will. That was the only way his violent, terrified mind could come up with to show them how he felt. They almost killed themselves. If Bucky hadn't of been there they would have been killed. They were not skilled enough to take that on that kind of foe. For those of you that are critical of a hard slap to the face I ask, what the hell would you have done? I don't think telling them 'You could have died, you scared me so badly.' Cuts it. Plus, he did add that. Bucky is a very emotional person from a generation where hitting your kids when they fucked up bad was something you did. I don't personally advocate hitting children for punishment. That's fucked up and abusive. However, I can personal attest to the power being slapped once in the face by your mother has on you. I still feel shame over the thing I almost did because I've never seen her so beside herself before or since. If you're wondering, yes it was also a life or death situation. So again if that offends you, sorry. But Bucky would be a pretty shitty parent if he could still think clearly after almost witnessing the deaths of his children. Nobody who loves their kids as much as Bucky does could. Maybe I'm a jackass. Whatever. If you've got a beef you can not read but you'll be missing out.


	41. Chapter 41

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Medical trauma is ookie.

                SHIELD agents, the fire department, the police department, news vans, and a string of ambulances show up minutes later. The Fantastic Four are on the scene inspecting the Doombots. Bucky is still holding his precious children when the armada of people arrives. Natasha is the brave one that comes up to them.

                “Do you need a medic?” She crosses her arms. Bucky lets go of his children so he can look over their injuries.

                “Yeah I think they both need one.” Bucky confirms. Sasha frowns.

                “Mommy…?”

                “What?” Bucky strokes her shoulder with his human thumb.

                “I think The Weapon is falling off.” She whimpers. Bucky looks down and realizes his shirt is soaked in blood.

                “Shit!” Bucky gets up off his knees and turns around to try and conceal the damage. Bucky was so concentrated on his children that he didn’t even feel the injury. Natasha comes up to him to inspect it. Bucky slowly peels back his tattered shirt and cringes. The metal edge of The Weapon has separated from his flesh, tearing the skin away down to the muscle. His skin is badly burned from the electrocution in the places where he got hit and anywhere that touches metal.

                “Mommy your back!” Jamie squeaks. Sasha gasps.

                “James, don’t move The Weapon it might cause further damage.” Natasha says calmly. Bucky doesn’t miss the note of horror in her voice.

.oOo.

                Steve anxiously awaits his family in the emergency room. The doctors took the bullet out and stopped the bleed, saving his life. They reset his shoulder and confirmed that there were only minor stress fractures and sprained muscles. He’ll be fine in a few days. Just like nothing happened. Steve was trying to get out the door and back to his family when they told him the battle was over. He still wanted to go but a helpful agent informed them that his family would be coming to him at the hospital. Now instead of just being frustrated he’s also dreading the inevitable bad news.

                Steve was expecting bad, he wasn’t expecting this. They bring Bucky in on a gurney lying on his side. Steve looks away from his back in horror. He maneuvers so he can see his mate’s face. Bucky is still awake.

                “Buck!” Steve yelps. He rushes to his mate’s side as the EMTs wheel him to the operating theater.

                “It’s okay. The kids are with Natasha and Darcy. They came after us. They got hurt. I saved them but Stevie-!” Bucky chokes again trying to verbalize what very nearly happened to his children.

                “Buck, it’s alright now. Shhhh.” His shushing comes out shaky. “I knew you’d protect them. You’d never let anything hurt them.” Steve babbles because with Bucky’s scapula peeled off his back Steve can hardly think. Bone and muscle is hanging by a few metal wires and strands of tendons. It’s more than just a separated scapula, enormous lesions, and a ruptured metal graft. The more Steve looks the more he realizes that the lightning attacks must have destroyed most of the tissue connected to The Weapon. The area around The Weapon is covered with third degree burns. The exposed bone in Bucky’s back is charred, his scapula it’self is made of metal. The sight makes Steve’s throat clench and his stomach turn. He doesn’t know what point of the fight the damage reached this degree. Steve guesses it was about midway which means he fought tooth and nail to the end with this.

                “But I hit them?” Bucky starts to cry. “Stevie I hit them!” He sobs. That gives Steve’s thoughts pause but he doesn’t stop running with the gurney.

                “What? Buck that’s not okay but I think you had a good reason. Don’t think about that right now. Think about happy things.”

                “Do you remember my Da?”

                “A little, he was never there when I was over.” Steve remembers Bucky’s Da alright. He was a drunk and a son-of-a-bitch, good-for-nothing.

                “My Da once knocked out one of my baby teeth.” Bucky admits. They’ve known each other since they were six years old and he’s never told Steve. “What’s wrong with me? After everything I done an what’s been done to me, why’d I hit ’em? I love ‘em so much! Am I dangerous to ‘em? Maybe I should leave ‘em with you…” Tears poor down Bucky’s face. “Least my Da had good ‘nough sense to walk out on us.”

                “James Buchanan Barnes you’re insane!” Steve roars. “You’re not a bad parent and you don’t have to punish yourself for this! You were scared! You made a harsh call but given what just happened today I don’t think anybody is going to hold that against you. I’m not! The kids won’t!” Steve strokes Bucky’s sweaty head. “I love you, you’re a good parent, now for the love of God please calm down.” Steve pleads. It’s at that moment that Bucky passes out from a combination of pain, shock, and blood loss. “Buck?!” Steve whines. “Bucky? Baby!?”

                “Captain Rogers you’ll need to step back so we can get access to him.” A nurse tells him. Steve recognizes a SHIELD insignia on her lab coat. Headquarters must have sent the specialists over to deal with Bucky’s unusual medical circumstances. Steve frantically watches them push his mate into the operating room. They start cleaning and assessing the damage in a flurry of movement. Wires get attached, an IV is inserted, they start transfusing blood immediately. Steve stands in the doorway with a hand over his mouth.

                “Daddy!” He hears his daughter yell. Steve’s head snaps toward the sound. Sasha and Jamie are being pursued by nurses who can’t seem to get them to stand still. The children are wearing hospital gowns.

                “Sweet Peas!” Steve takes a knee and hugs them when they run into his arms. “Oh thank heaven. Are you alright?” Steve looks them up and down.

                “I can’t hear in one ear.” Jamie reports. “They say it’ll come back.”

                “My ribs are broken. But they say they’ll get better too.” Sasha puts a hand on her broken, bandaged side.

                “Oh no... Why didn’t you stay where it was safe?” Steve gets up and moves them away from the door before they realize the seven doctor team of surgeons is working on their mother.

                “We heard you were hurt, we thought Mommy needed help.” Jamie answers.

                “What Mommy always needs more than anything is for you to be safe! Mommy can’t function if you’re not safe.”

                “We know.” Jamie bites his lip. Sasha nods, her eyes watering up again. Steve puts a comforting hand on both their backs.

                “Let’s go find our friends.”

.oOo.

                Darcy chews on the inside of her cheek as she scrolls through her various internet accounts. Darcy is very involved with The Avengers’ fan community. Naturally anything worth note that goes on with the team shows up on her dashboard. As she scrolls almost 90% of the new posts are reblogged pictures of Bucky, Sasha, and Jamie. There is a particularly spectacular picture of Bucky holding his children to his chest. The Weapon is clearly visible holding Sasha in a maternal embrace. The two children’s faces are more discernable in other pictures from when the EMTs arrive. The whole ordeal is documented in photos from when Bucky clung onto them to when the EMTs take Bucky away in an ambulance. It’s heartbreaking photography. Darcy knows the story by the pictures alone. The tags on the pictures inform her that the internet gets it too.

**#Bucky Barnes #Winter Soldier #Captain America #kids? #Oh MY GOD IF THOSE ARE THEIR CHILDREN! #Babies! #OMG #FuckingDrDoom! #Family #did I say holy fucking cow! #Wintermama #Mama!Bucky #can’t believe it #someone hold me #it’s so cute I’m gonna die #bury me with my Bucky Bear**

                Darcy clears her throat meaningfully. The group of people waiting for news about Bucky perks up. The Avengers, The CSO of NY, and the extended friends and family are all there in support of Steve and the kids.

                “I know this is kind of shit timing, but the internet is having a seizure over pictures of the twins and Bucky.” Darcy explains feeling like more than a bit of a jerk for bringing it up. Pepper and Tony takes out their phones to check and see. Pepper gasps. The news is instantly there when she opens her hone to facebook.

                “Oh Tony, is there anything you can do?” She asks.

                “I would have to either crash the internet and gut it like a fish or give birth to Rhodey’s baby in front of Pope Francis while burning the Mona Lisa to cover this up.” Tony shakes his head. A few of the people in the gathering look at him expectantly. Tony scowls. “No. That was a no.”

                “At least the kids are on winter break, they won’t have to go back to school for a few weeks.” Sue says hopefully.

                The kids themselves don’t look overly concerned with their instantaneous fame. “When’s Mommy going to be done?” Jamie croaks. His throat hurts. They’re curled up with Steve and Billy in a blanket from home that smells like their family. Particularly Bucky.

                “I don’t know guys.” Steve answers. He gives them a gentle little squeeze. They’ve been there for six hours, its dinner time. “What do you guys want to eat? We can have anything you like.”

                “I don’t care.” Sasha sighs. She’s not very hungry after seeing the state her mother was in.

                “Pizza is always good. Or Chinese? We could have shrimp fried rice from your favorite place?” Steve nudges her, just trying to get her to display some kind of life. Jamie won’t come back out of his shell unless Sasha does first.

                “But it’s so far away. What if Mommy gets done when we’re gone getting food?” Sasha questions. Jamie whines and buries his face in the blanket.

                “No it’s alright we won’t go get it, we’ll have it brought to us.” Steve comforts. Barton springs up.

                “I’m on it. You guys just give me your orders and I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.” He assures the kids. He adores them so much, it’s painful to watch them be so distraught.

                “I want the shrimp rice.” Sasha tells him with a polite little smile. Jamie mumbles his order into Steve’s shoulder. Steve knows what he always gets and he think that’s what he heard.

                “The number five combo for him. Mind picking me up a family size number six?” Steve asks.

                “No sweat. What do you guys want?” He asks the rest of the group. Tony slips him his credit card before Barton leaves. Barton passes Nick Fury in the doorway.

                Nick gestures for Steve to come talk to him in the hallway. Everyone knows that’s not good. Steve worms his way out of the blanket nest with his kids and follows Fury.

                “Okay just tell me, I don’t want sugar coating.” Steve says as soon as they’re out of ear shot from his children.

                “The metal plating around his shoulder needs to come off for him to heal. The whole arm needs to be removed to fix the extent of the damage. The arm itself is still relatively intact but the nerves controlling it are causing him insufferable pain. The problem is reattaching it. We’re already setting up a conversation with the few remaining doctors who originally installed the arm to consult on how to do it again. Sergeant Barnes has made it very clear he doesn’t want to lose the arm permanently.”

                “So how is he now?” Steve pales.

                “He’s biologically stable but he’s had The Weapon removed to stop the pain. Psychologically he’s not well.”


	42. Chapter 42

               Steve rushes to Bucky’s room in the ICU. His heart feels immensely heavy in his chest dragging him forward like a magnet to the other piece of him. Once he gets to the room he slows down and identifies himself to the nurses and guards at the door. Nobody is getting in there to see Bucky without being immediate family. They recognize Steve of course and let him in.

               Steve swallows down the lump in his throat but it won’t go away. His whole body lurches forward to his mate’s side. “Bucky?” Steve pulls up a chair to Bucky’s bed. Bucky slowly looks up at Steve with puffy, red rimmed eyes. His pupils are dilates from whatever they gave him for the pain and probably the panic. Steve has got to remind these people pain meds don’t work right on Bucky. For now, Steve gingerly caresses Bucky’s cheek as if it’s made of the thinnest glass. “Baby Doll? Please, talk to me?”

               Bucky glances at his mutilated shoulder. They have him lying on his side with the damaged area exposed so it will heal. The majority of the area has no skin. The distal end of his clavicle and the thin socket of his scapula are poking out of his flesh. The Weapon attaches at those points to his metal artificial bone structure. The mess of artificial tendons that supports the weight of the metal arm has been disconnected and set out on a nearby surgical table. Five wires stick straight out of his shoulder, Steve supposes they’re his artificial nerves. Each of them has a cap on it not unlike what you would see on a loose wire in a house. There is no residual limb, just the point where bones meet. There is a pattern around the area where the metal case around his shoulder sits. The few pieces of skin that remain look like they grew around a very thin chicken wire of sorts. That’s how they got The Weapon to adhere to his body, they had him literally grow into it. That explains why the tissue around the shoulder piece is particularly marred. Bucky notices Steve studying it. He shifts a little to try and lean it away. He can't move too far because of the large bore IV keeping him hydrated is tethering him to the fluid drip. Burn victims dehydrate rapidly. 

               “No Bucky, please don’t do that.”

               “You’re disgusted.” Bucky says looking so damn dejected.

               “No! I’m not dis- I’m scared stiff. Are you-?” Steve notices something peeking out of a towel by Bucky’s chest. The fingertips of The Weapon are just visible. Bucky takes a shaky deep breath and awkwardly uses his good arm to push The Weapon to his chest like it’s a swaddled child. Steve very slowly rests a hand on the towel. It feels like The Weapon in its entirety is inside. Bucky’s eyes dart around nervously. He’s afraid Steve will think he’s really lost his marbles. It’s Hydra’s gift of death, not some sacred object.

               “I didn’t want it on the table.” He shakes his head lightly so he doesn’t disturb the burns on his neck. “I didn’t want them to take it off at all. Now they tell me if I want it back they’ll have to start all over again. Same people are gonna do what they did to me before.” Steve’s face contorts in horror.

               “No, I won’t let them be the ones to do it.”

               “You have to. Nobody else can. It’s only ever been done once. I’m just praying the doctors here didn’t fuck me up too bad to be fixed.” Bucky’s brows are knitted together, his mouth a small line. He looks like he did those first few days when he came home from running all those years ago. Steve can’t have that. Steve leans forward and plops a kiss on his lips. When he pulls away Bucky has gone cross eyed. Steve chuckles.

               “What?” Steve smiles lovingly at his mate. “Can’t take a little affection?”

               “Drugs make my lips feel funny.” Bucky mumbles. He wipes the goofy expression off his face. “I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if you never make love to me again after seeing this.” He mutters sheepishly. He glances from Steve to his shoulder rapidly. He never uses the term ‘make love’. He’s too crude to use such a fluffy euphemism. Steve can only assume he means Bucky would no longer inspire the feeling of love at all. Steve gives _the love of his life_ a critical look.

                “Keep talking like that and I’ll have to eat you out in front of the guards, the nurses, and the fucking Hydra doctors just to teach you a lesson.” He says in all seriousness. Bucky’s cheeks turn just slightly pink.

                “That’s not necessary.” Though by the look on Bucky’s face it wouldn’t be entirely unwelcome either. Bucky makes a thoughtful hum. “They gave me a shot to delay my heat for a while. They said it’d be bad for my body to go through that while it’s trying to heal.”

                “How long do you think it will be?” Steve asks curiously.

                “A week, maybe two later than it would have been.”

                “Think you can heal up in time?”

                “I’m guessing the Hydra docs will reattach The Weapon as soon as possible. From what I remember they had to peel my skin off anyway. Might as well not waste 30% skin loss.”

                Steve purses his lips in frustration. He’s going to put the fear of _him_ in those doctors before he lets them anywhere near Bucky. “Buck I’ve always wanted to ask, why do you call it The Weapon?”

                Bucky looks confused. “Because it’s a weapon? What else would it be?”

                “Your left arm.”

                “It’s a deadly piece of equipment designed to enhance my super human strength. It’s hardly just an arm.” Bucky is reciting part of that. Bucky worries his lip thinking Steve will be displeased with him. It’s been almost a decade and Bucky still hasn’t rooted out all of his programming.

                Fury knocks on the door. Steve nods to the guards to let him in. It seems the guards aren’t taking orders from anyone but the doctors and the family. Or maybe this is just a show, Steve never knows with Fury. The SHIELD director walks in with his hands behind his back. Bucky presses his face into his pillow, it’s the only way he can hide. Steve puts his hand on the back of his mate’s head soothingly and kisses his forehead.

                “I’ll talk to Director Fury in the hallway. I’ll be back in a minute.” He says softly to him. Steve gets up and shifts Bucky’s blankets so they’re more snug around his form. Steve notices that there are restrains around his waist and feet. He glares at Fury. “Did you know they’re restraining him?”

                “Do you trust him to be unrestrained?” The Director shoots back with a cocked eyebrow. Steve is about to give his indignant answer when Bucky pipes up.

                “Leave um on Stevie. It’s just so I don’t turn over in my sleep. You know how I thrash.” He says in utter certainty that he is safer with them on. Steve still thinks that’s bullshit. Steve bends down and kisses Bucky’s forehead one more time.

                “If that’s what you want.” He says in a hushed voice. Bucky pauses during a blink as a sign for yes. Steve reluctantly scowls and follows Fury into the hallways.

                “So what’s so important that you’re willing to disturb me at my mate’s bedside?”

                “There is a problem with the plan to rehabilitate Sergeant Barnes.” Nick says austerely. Steve runs a hand through his hair and then lets his arm flop to his side in frustration.

                “Isn’t there always? Now what?”

                “We don’t think your attacker actually was Victor Von Doom. The cocky bastard just called up Sue Richards, told her he was sorry his bots did that and that he’ll be more careful who he _sells_ them to.”

                “So who was giving them orders then?” Steve asks on the cusp of rage.

                Fury leans his head to one side. “Who do you think?”

                Steve stands there speechless for half a minute. His face runs through every emotion from confused to murderously angry. “We wiped them out! We have destroyed every base, captured or killed every operative, we even rooted them out of SHIELD and you’re telling me they still have enough money to invest in Doombots? The Winter Soldier and I are the biggest threat to Hydra there has ever been and they’re still trying to pick a fight with us?! What do I have to do to get them to just go away?!” Steve yells, outraged to the point of his eyes watering. “Is that what they wanted today? To capture or kill Bucky?”

                “Probably. I somehow doubt the timing was unintentional. They probably thought Bucky would be a mess because of his heat. They didn’t count on his maternal instincts being heightened by his children.” He scratches his chin. “The .950 JDJ was probably a surprise too.”  

                “So now we can’t trust the Hydra doctors to operate on him because they might do something awful to his arm, even kill him.” Steve growls. “But Bucky needs his arm back! You tell me another way to do that? I’ll hold a gun to their heads the whole procedure if it that’s what it takes!”

                “Banner and Stark have agreed to oversee what happens but they aren’t promising they’ll know 100% of what they’re looking at. Tony’s said before he’s not completely sure how the bio-mechanical integration of the arm works. Bruce is a damn good doctor but he’s not a neurosurgeon.”

                “Then get one to supervise.” Steve’s voice is still an angry rumble. “You’ve got a day to put it together. You can do that can’t you? The whole world under your boot must be good for something? Why don’t you use it to help the guy who put it there?”

                “You’re getting a tad too belligerent for my tastes. I advise you to back the fuck down. I’ll find you the best neurosurgeon I can. Then when I’m done I’m going to bring in the sick motherfuckers that did that to your mate in the first place and hold the guns to their heads _myself_. You’ll be busy holding Bucky’s good hand.” Nick puts his hand on Steve’s shoulder. “I said there is a problem, I didn’t say I’m unwilling to fix it. Nobody’s going to screw your mate over, not after everything he’s done for SHIELD.”

                Steve wipes his face with one hand. “Sorry, I know things are complicated. It’s just- he!” Steve covers his eyes. “He’s just lying there curled up with his arm thinking the whole world’s going to abandon him. He thinks _I’m_ going to leave him! _Me_!”

               “Then you better get back to him. I’ll have a nurse bring you back your food when it gets here.” Fury takes his hand off Steve’s shoulder. “Now’s the part where you say don’t let the kids see him like that.” Steve nods his approval.

               “If Bucky doesn’t want me to see, I don’t think he’ll be ready for them for a while. They’re pretty sensitive, they might get nightmares.” Steve knows this exact situation already is one. No need to cement it any further into reality.

               “I’ll let you know how I do on that neurosurgeon.”

               “Thanks.” Steve goes back to the room with Bucky with a mixed bag of feelings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh Bucky... why do I do dis thing I do? Because plot. People have been expressing concern over the Billy baby. Billy's fine, he's with the family in the waiting room. Darcy took him from the twins and retreated to the safe room. So bubby is all good. Bucky on the other hand is really fucked up. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	43. Chapter 43

               The kids are very upset that they aren’t allowed to see their mother. At six in the morning Tony finally comes up with an agreeable solution. He disappears for a half an hour and arrives back with a flexible blue screen that will bend in an arch around Bucky’s shoulder. It’s sturdy enough that they can also drape a blanket over it. Bucky is initially not receptive but as the first of three surgeries becomes more imminent he relents so he can see his kids. Steve arranges the screen as close to Bucky as possible without touching the very delicate healing tissue. He tucks the blanket over it to make it look a bit less like they’re hiding something. Bucky asks him to arrange the weapon so it looks convincingly like he just has his arm bent. In reality it’s only placed well on the table. The last touch is to turn the lights down to almost blackness and then add a bedside lamp to make the room look less scary. They hide the majority of the instruments and cover up the pieces of Bucky’s arm on the surgical tables.

                Natasha brings the children into the room. Billy squeals when he sees his mother. The twins know to be more demure but Billy is beside himself with relief to see him. Steve takes his son from Natasha and thanks her. Natasha nods to her mentor and leaves.

                Sasha approaches uncertainly with Jamie right behind her. Steve casually sits down next to the bed with Billy in his arms. Billy reaches for his mommy’s face immediately.

                “Hi Sweet Pea. How are you?” Bucky smiles with relief. He was expecting Billy to be distressed by his appearance.

                “Mommy!” Billy wiggles so violently that he manages to get his face right up next to Bucky’s.

                “Oh! Woops, come here Buddy.” Steve arranges him so his face is on Bucky’s right side. Bucky doesn’t mind. He affectionately nuzzles his child, nose to nose.

                “Hi Mommy.” Sasha peeps. Bucky hooks Billy with his right arm so he stays put.

                “Hi. Are you okay? You can come closer if you want it’s alright.” Bucky tries to sound soothing. Steve can see that under it is a pit of doubt and self-loathing that goes all the way down to his mate’s core. Sasha surges forward to his side.

                “I didn’t know if you wanted to see us? I thought maybe you didn’t want us now since we scared you so bad.” Sasha squeaks.

                “Sasha!” Steve chuckles humorlessly. “You’re really too much alike, you know? That’s not what’s going on at all.” Steve explains. He reacts quickly to stop Billy from reaching for The Weapon. “Oh Buddy, nope don’t touch that.” Billy whines disappointedly. “You’re not going to like that, I promise.”

                Bucky purses his lips to try not to frown. His eyes frown instead. His baby blues are enormous and full of pain unlike that which a human can normally experience. His expression is more similar to the look of a rejected dog than a person. Sad puppy eyes surrounded by deep bags and long lashes. Sasha can’t stand it.

                “It’s okay Billy. Mommy’s going to be alright.” Sasha resolutely holds onto the first two fingers of The Weapon as if she was just holding her mother’s hand. “See its fine.” Tears prickle her eyes but she still keeps ahold of the amputated artificial arm to comfort her brother. Jamie finally gets his feet to un-cement from the ground so he can walk up to his sister’s side and put his hand on top of Sasha’s.

                Bucky is seconds away from bawling. Steve doesn’t know how to handle this situation. Billy inches forward and touches The Weapon’s fingertips too. He squeaks, thinking they should grip back but obviously they can’t.

                “It’s okay!” Jamie manipulates the fingers himself so they grip Billy’s fingers back. He does it in such a way that it looks like he’s just holding his mother’s hand a different way. Billy seems appeased by this. He holds his mother’s hand calmly, unaware it’s unattached. Bucky buries his face into Billy’s chubby body. Billy giggles thinking it’s a game. He lets go of his mother’s fingers and grips onto his hair. Bucky sniffs and wipes his eyes with his right hand. He gives his baby a fake toothy grin and glances sideways at his older kids with a less intense but more genuine version of his smile.

                “Would you take my hand again?” Bucky asks, his voice cracks. Sasha and Jamie look to his hand that’s wrapped around Billy’s pudgy middle. “No, the other one.” They both look at him with surprise. Steve is similarly taken back. Sasha and Jamie both firmly take hold of the disembodied limb. It’s getting warm from their touch. “I’m not mad. I meant it when I said I never want you to do that ever again, but I’m not mad. I know you did it because you thought I needed help. Babies, Mommy can take care of himself. I’m damn hard to kill. It’s even tougher when I’m defending you. The problem is when I’m taking care of you I think like a machine. I don’t put myself in the equation. I really hurt myself protecting you. I will never not protect you to save myself. I need you to promise me, for my sake and yours, that you’ll always do everything you can to stay out of danger. That’s the best way to keep Mommy safe. Okay?”

                “So this is our fault then?” Sasha looks down at her feet. Jamie snuffles. Bucky sighs, he figured they might take it like that. He’s not so sure he believes what he’s about to say himself, but Steve tells him its right so he repeats it.

                “No. This is Hydra’s fault. They’re the ones who put us all in danger in the first place. It’s never our fault when we get hurt because somebody else attacked us. All we can do is try and protect ourselves better.” Bucky assures her. “Look at me Sweet Peas?” Sasha looks up. Jamie tries to keep his sore eyes open. He jets his chin out a little, trying to look tough. He reminds Bucky of Steve. Bucky barely laughs under his breath at the image that calls to mind. He glances up at his mate. Steve, totally besotted, looks back at him. One side of Bucky’s mouth turns upward. He bites his lower lip and looks back to his kids.  “I love you so much, the only reason I’d ever want you to stay away is because I’m afraid of what you’d think of me if you were close. I can’t keep your daddy away because he’s a grown man but you three are too young to see some of this stuff. I’m going to be in surgery a bunch the next couple of days. I’ll only be able to see you a couple of times. I’m hoping I’ll be able to do Christmas tomorrow but if I can’t I want you to enjoy yourself anyway.” The kids look crestfallen. “But I’m going to try to be able to, okay?” The kids nod. “I love you!” Bucky says forcefully. Billy squeals. Bucky kisses his cheeks aggressively until the two year old is howling with laughter.

                “How do we hug you?” Sasha questions. Bucky motions them forward. Sasha leans down so her mommy can kiss her forehead. Jamie does the same.

                “Like that, for now. You guys gotta go, the surgeons are gonna come in here and look at my shoulder. But I’ll see you soon okay?”

                “Mmmhmm.” Sasha wipes her eyes and takes Jamie’s hand. Jamie nods. Steve stands up and does the unpleasant job of prying Billy away from his mommy. He cries in confusion even as Bucky shushes him.

                “Wait a second leave him here a minute and take the twins back.” Bucly instructs. Steve does as Bucky says. The kids wave goodbye forlornly. Bucky waves back.

.oOo.

                When Steve comes back the hallway outside Bucky’s room is full of SHIELD agents. In the center of the group with guns to their backs and cuffs on their hands and feet are the last three living Hydra scientists. They glance over at Steve disinterestedly. The group is waiting for Steve to go in and get the baby before anything proceeds. Steve pushes past them, his adrenaline already pumping from the very sight of those monsters in the hallway. Steve opens the door and walks inside. Bucky strokes his fingers through his sleeping child’s hair. Steve is surprised to recognize the ways Billy is snuggled into his right side. Steve kneels down next to the bed and carefully picks up Billy so he isn’t disturbed.

                “Did you just nurse him?” Steve asks.

                “He always goes to sleep afterward. I figure it’d be less traumatic.” Bucky explains.

                “But didn’t that- I mean you’re so badly injured?”

                “Yeah it hurt like a dry fuck, what of it?” Bucky raises an eyebrow. “Don’t worry about my pain levels Stevie, if I can take what comes next I can feed my baby.”

.oOo.

                Fury observes the neurosurgeon he found scrubbing up in a room across from Barnes’. They can see the three ‘scientists’ in the hallway through a window.

                “So in your honest opinion, is there any chance that these guys are stupid enough to try something?” Fury asks.

                “They all value their lives or else they would have found a way to take them in prison. They may have delusions that their organization still has plans to rescue them. Of course, Hydra would only ever expend those kind of resources if they also had The Winter Soldier.” His German accent is very thick but his English grammar is perfect. He’s only lived in the United States since his wife insisted he immigrate after they got married. Before that he was one of the world’s most successful double agents. The people in the hallway are his former co-workers and he is the reason they’re currently behind bars. SHIELD never would have caught them alive or otherwise if it were not for Dr. Alphonse Weise.

                “They tried pretty hard to get him back yesterday. Does that mean they’re going to try and break them out next?” Fury doesn’t think so but he might as well ask the expert.

                “No. They don’t have the resources. They just blew 90 million dollars on Doombots. They can’t afford the weapons, the buy-offs, or the manpower. They are by no means declawed though. Your boys took out the old leadership but the new people are even more radical than the old ones. Desperate times I suppose. They probably tried to calculate Barnes’ heat cycle to time this whole thing. His two pregnancies threw them off of course, but if they’d known that and had a slightly more efficient plan they might have succeeded in killing him. But that only puts them back to square one.”

                “What do you think their game is these days? They can’t puppeteer government the way the used to, so now what?” Fury asks with his arms crossed.

                “Hydra needs a new fist. The old one had children.” Alphonse replies as Nick opens the door for him. He studies his former colleagues' shocked faces when they see him. Alphonse grins in long overdue satisfaction. “Oh please. You didn’t really think all three of you accidentally got defective cyanide capsules, did you?” Alphonse snorts and shrugs innocently.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So yeah that's Romilda's husband, Badass McBadass. He's a grand master in chess, a double agent, a neurosurgeon, a survivor of The Winter Soldier(he wasn't the actual target he just fought Winter once) and much more that really is irrelevant. He might talk to Steve and explain himself a little later. Um, Bucky think's he looks like an old man but he's really only old when you compare him to his early twenty something wife. My head-canon for his appearance is this version of mads-mikkelsen.  
> alphonse: http://medias.unifrance.org/medias/187/159/106427/format_page/mads-mikkelsen.jpg
> 
> Then this is my head-canon for Ingrid. No aging of this image at all. She would like exactly like this as a 72 year old. The actress is Olga Kurkulina and she is 43 here. She's fantastic.  
> Ingrid): http://www.elmulticine.com/imagenes/noticias/8/olga-kurkulina-picc-pxl2.jpg  
> 2: http://www.girlswithmuscle.com/images/full/620236924.jpg
> 
> And this is Mia Wasikowska as Romilda  
> http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BNjY0MTMyNzQxMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwMTIwNzY2NA@@._V1_SY317_CR11,0,214,317_AL_.jpg
> 
> Also rip my heart out kids? Billy doesn't understand! Boo Ba doesn't understand! *Sob*! 
> 
> -The Trollop


	44. Chapter 44

                Bucky is confused when Romilda’s husband walks through the door ahead of the group of guards and ‘scientists’.

                “Uh, hi?” Bucky raises an eyebrow. Steve holds his hand by his side.

                “Hello Sergeant. It’s nice to see you again. I’m sorry it’s under these circumstances.”

                “Are you the neurosurgeon?” Steve asks. Alphonse clasps his hands in front of himself.

                “I am.” Alphonse smiles congenially. “My wife forgot to mention how her mother and I worked together. We worked in the same hospital back in Germany.”

                Bruce and Tony walk in next. Tony did a fantastic job giving the scientists in the hall the stink eye. “Does Hydra only recruit people who physically look insane?” Tony asks. He gets a glimpse at Bucky’s shoulder and promptly moves himself to the sink. Bruce doesn’t so much as blink when he see’s Bucky. He adjusts his glasses and steps forward to examine the shoulder.

                “They kept the nerves fairly close to the same way they would be coming out of the brachial plexus.” Bruce notes. He indicates the wires. “MC, axillary, medial, radial, and ulnar all right there. I wonder if the rest of it is innervated the same as a human arm? If so what’s the advantage of that?” Bruce ponders aloud.

                “Ask the psychopaths in the hallway.” Bucky hisses.

                “I intend to.” Bruce flicks his gaze to Bucky’s face. “The more we figure out about this thing, the less contact you have to have with the people who did this to you.” That mellows Bucky out a bit. For a second he thought Bruce was a little overly interested. He can handle interest if it’s for his benefit. Especially if that benefit is those scientists staying the hell away from him.

                Tony composes himself finally. “Sorry. Bloody wires and stuff coming out of bodies hits pretty close to home.” Tony chokes out. He clears his throat.

                “I heard about your incident in Iraq.” Alphonse mentions as he browses through Bucky’s chart. He glances at Tony. “Sorry to hear it.”

                “Not really a big deal. Kinda launched life ‘Mark II’ for me. Did a lot of good in the end.” Tony shrugs. “But enough about me.”

                “Is there ever enough about you?” Bruce jokes as he too looks over a copy of Bucky’s charts. Tony holds up one finger with his mouth open then closes it. “What’s our plan for containing these guys?”

                “If they do anything suspicious I’m going to snap their necks.” Bucky replies simply.

                “And you’ll know that how exactly?” Tony raises an eyebrow skeptically.

                Bucky scoffs. “I’ll just know.”

                “Like when you’re absolutely certain people are going to break into the tower and hurt your kids? That kind of certain?” Tony shoots back. Bucky growls. “Because if there was ever a time when you were going to get paranoid, now would be it. So those of us that do science, how do _we_ figure it out?”

                Bruce stays quiet for a moment. “If Bucky snaps their necks I’m going to assume something went wrong. Don’t be a dick Tony, he’ll know.”

                “Great. Then his best option for reattaching his arm will be gone.”

                “I want them to go through their procedure before we decide this is something we can’t do ourselves.” Bruce adjusts his glasses again. A nervous habit, maybe. “They may be the only ones living to have ever done it but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to replicate.”

                Alphonse speaks up. “The only reason no one else has done it is because it’s tantamount to torture and wouldn’t work for anyone except people with super human strength. Dr. Banner has a point, it would be unwise to assume their methods are overly complicated. I suspect the answer is they are more exceptionally brutal than complicated.”

                “So you’re suggesting we brutalize him?” Tony snaps. “Because I’m going to leave that to you guys. I’ll take the tech.”

                “That’s fine Mr. Stark. We’ve already established you have a weak stomach for the less savory.” Alphonse responds dispassionately.

                “And what the fuck does that mean?” Tony bristles where he stands. “Pardon my humanness, Mengele! Oh, and cut all this fucking clinical bullshit while you’re at it. I’ve read up one you. Double agent or not, you still helped them make him how he is.”

                Steve’s jaw clenches. “Tony, how do you know that?”

                “I read.” Tony replies curtly, keeping his eyes on Alphonse.

                Bucky’s stare hardens on him as well. “You’re one of the people who did this to me?”

                “I was.” Alphonse doesn’t so much as grimace. “More specifically, I’m the one who remedied your dyslexia and enhanced your ability to learn languages. Rather ironic you came to my wife for help with your son, don’t you think?”

                “I think you should be in chains just like those monsters in the hallway.” Bucky rumbles.

                “I don’t necessarily disagree. However before you cast your judgment on me I want you to know that I too was conditioned by Hydra. I volunteered myself to gain their trust in the early days of my double life. That which I did to you was done in much the same state you functioned in as The Winter Soldier. Thankfully I had already had measures in place to counter Hydra’s control on me. I did not suffer as you did.” He looks at the materials that have been set out for the procedure. “Would you like to continue to learn about my long list of damning assignments or would you like to get on with the procedure?”

                Bucky chews on his lower lip while he glares at Alphonse. “Get on with it I guess.”

                Tony taps on the glass of the door to get the attention of the guards. One of them opens the door while the others file in awkwardly. Three of the guards move in pairs with the scientists because their feet are chained together.

                The first in line is the only female. Everyone in the room has either read of her or met her before. In Bucky’s case, more than just met. She was the one who strung his nerves through his neck to The Weapon. She’s the architect for his latest artificial peripheral nervous system. Her name is Angela Torez, a Mexican national and once world famous bioengineer. She replaced the less efficient nerve system at some time during the 1990’s. She was the third person to install artificial nerves in The Winter Soldier. Hers are the best by far. She used to wear a rosary around her neck every day. Since she went to prison she has since had a rosary tattooed around her neck like a noose just below the scar from where she tried to cut her own throat. She sizes up each person in the room.

                The next man in line is the official maintenance supervisor of The Weapon, Ira Sinulaki. He was born and raised in a Hydra facility in Indonesia for the sole purpose of understanding and servicing Hydra technology. If The Weapon was damaged he was the one to fix it. No other person has taken The Weapon apart and reassembled it so many times. Ira is now in his sixties. He spent four decades living in a constant state of unrest waiting for orders that the Winter Soldier was about to be activated. As he surveys the room his eyes dilate at the sight of The Weapon and it’s user.

                The last man is in his mid-eighties. Unlike the other two, his roots go all the way back to Nazi Germany. He was born as a part of Hitler’s program to boost the population of the Arian race. The man before them now exudes the qualities he was bred for. The insanity was probably not an intended outcome. Showing aptitude for science at a young age, he was swept up by Hydra to be the understudy of Armin Zola himself. Zola was the designer of the first Weapon but Adolf Radnitzer is the designer of the second and third model. He has been present for every one of the operations that installed The Weapon onto The Winter Soldier. When he sees Bucky sitting there, he smiles as if spotting an old friend for the first time in decades.

                “Hello Soldier.” He says with a polite grin. “My, my what have you done to yourself?”

                Bucky doesn’t respond. He stares blankly at the floor, completely submissive to this man and any demands he might make of him. He’s had many political superiors to give him orders over the years. None of them have ever had the kind of control this man has. With one word Radnitzer could put him in a catatonic state that would keep him immobile during surgery. Radnitzer was his anesthesia, his surgeon, his god. Old habits that never faded click into action in an instant. Bucky leans his head to the right baring his neck in submission. In speaks volumes about what this man has done to him. Bucky’s eyes are cloudy, his muscles tense, he looks like he’s bracing for something but completely willing to allow it. Steve watches in horror as his mate turns puppet. “So well maintained. I had worried we might have to recondition you to affectively restrain you during the operation. No need it seems.”

                Steve bolts to his feet. His fist contacts Radnitzer’s cheek like a sledgehammer. No one is going to be alpha to his mate but _him_! The man crumbles to the floor, mouth gushing with blood, teeth broken or knocked out, cheek bone fractured, eye swelling, and jaw dislocated. Steve takes a deep breath. Nobody else in the room is breathing. Steve glances sideways at his mate. Praying that was enough. It was. Bucky’s jaw hangs open, his brows furrowed together and pupils blown. Whatever Radnitzer does to him doesn’t work so well when his alpha is the dominant presence in the room. Just like Steve hoped. That shouldn’t be arousing for either of them but it is. Steve gets a satisfied curve to his lips at the thought. He puts his hands on his hips and addresses Radnitzer on the ground.

                “So. I think it’s pretty clear that you will not be talking for the duration of your contact with my mate.” He winks at Bucky. Steve points to one of the guards who is not chained to a prisoner. “Would you go get him a whiteboard or something?” The guard nods hastily and leaves quickly to comply. Steve has apparently just become the unquestioned authority in this situation. Steve can work with that. “So, someone who has teeth, please explain what needs to be done to get Bucky’s arm back on.”

.oOo.

                The two scientists who are speaking respond well to threats of physical violence after seeing what became of their leader. They explain what the operations are going to require as best they can. Bruce and Tony throw in ideas that will probably make it better or easier. The Hydra scientists are surprisingly easy to collaborate with. Even Radnitzer was always more passionate about his work than he was about Hydra’s dogmas. The other two are purely interested in the best product possible. They don’t care what it takes to accomplish that and that is why they were willing to torture Bucky. They mind their tongues in fear of Steve. Literally. Bucky and Steve got lost about five minutes into the think tank. The two of them have been sitting side by side exchanging little affectionate gestures. It’s particularly rewarding to do so in front of the Hydra members. Steve does a thorough job of scenting Bucky just to show off. Radnitzer does not make eye contact. At the end of the think tank the scientists are led away by the guards and the good guys are alone once again.

                It falls on Alphonse to explain the procedure to the couple. He gestures towards a table of mesh plates. “I think today we should reattach the metal mesh that holds the arm’s casing to the skin. Each one of these will be applied in the appropriate direction so that it flexes with your muscles. A thinner mess liner will then be glued over the pieces. I’m recommending that we have two doctors stich the mesh plates on at the same time while you rest in a sitting position.”

                “Who’s going to do the stitching?” Steve asks.

                “I was hoping you’d consent to Dr. Banner and myself.” Alphonse stands their rigidly. The earlier admission of his involvement with Bucky’s modifications is the unspoken hang-up.

                Bucky gives him an intense once over. Alphonse wonders for a moment how many people The Winter Soldier has killed. How many of them saw that look as they died? Bucky narrows his eyes. “You have my consent. Go get the chair.”

.oOo.

                It takes seven hours to stitch on each piece. Bucky is absolutely silent the whole time. The room is filled with R & B hits intended to sooth them. It doesn’t seem to make a difference.

                Steve stays next to Bucky the whole seven hours. He watches his mate for signs that he’s about to lose control and throw a fit. He never does. Bucky stays seated with his head bent. Each piece has at least a hundred stiches looped through it by the end. The adhesive that connects the two layers of mess stings Bucky’s open wounds. Steve frets about that but is relieved to see that they put a bandage around the shoulder. The ace bandage will make sure the mess is fitted to the contours of Bucky’s body as closely as possible. Bucky is encouraged to keep his shoulder as still as possible while it heals.

                With the new bandage on, Bucky can get up and move around. With some clever wardrobe ideas from Steve, Bucky’s even comfortable enough to walk out and see his friends and family. They stuffed the left arm of a sweatshirt and then safety pinned the sleeve so it looks like Bucky has his left hand in the sweat shirt pocket the whole time. His ‘arm’ looks a little noodle-ish but Bucky doesn’t care. It’s good enough to fool the baby. That was his main concern.

                It’s very late at night on Christmas Eve. In a couple of minutes it will be Christmas morning. Steve sneaks into the twins’ hospital room. They chose to stay together. Steve kneels down next to them and gently strokes their shoulders. “Guess who Santa brought?” Steve says softly to his twins as they lie curled up in their shared bed. They both sit up as if shocked. They look around frantically until they spot their mother standing in the doorway. Bucky laughs with an enormous smile on his face at how happy they are. They both whoop and scream and scramble to go give him a hug.

                “Be gentle with my side.” Is Bucky’s only instruction. He rubs their backs as they hug him carefully.

                “We didn’t think you’d see us!” Sasha wails.

                “Oh come on, you know I wouldn’t miss Christmas.” Bucky comforts. Steve walks over to his family and puts his hand on his mate’s lower back. Bucky turns his head and gives him a wet sounding smooch. Steve in return gives him a reassuring nip to their bound mark that makes Bucky blush. Bucky takes a calming breath. He’s going to be okay. He has his children and he has Steve to look out for him. “I just wanted to come in and tell you guys that I’ll be there in the morning for presents.” The kids buzz with energy. “Now back to bed or Santa won’t leave you any,” Bucky jokes. He strokes their heads a few times. The kids grumble and hold onto him.

                “Will you stay in our room tonight?” Jamie asks. Bucky looks at Steve. If Steve held him right, with the bandage they could probably manage to share a bed. It wouldn’t be hard to get an extra one for them.

                “I’ll go ask a nurse.” Steve goes off to ask. Bucky stays with the kids. Sasha has a Christmas book she’s reading about Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer. Bucky picks it up and reads to them while Steve’s gone. Steve comes back victorious with the bed. With Billy sound asleep in his cradle, Sasha and Jamie sharing a bed, and Steve and Bucky squished together on the spare, the whole family sleeps together that night. Sleeping in heavenly peace. Or pieces in one case.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Christmas! 
> 
> -The Trollop


	45. Chapter 45

                “Mommy?”

                “Daddy?”

                “Mommadada?”

                Bucky slowly opens his eyes. His three children are right in front of him. Sasha is holding her baby brother. They all look expectantly at them. It takes Bucky a second to figure out why.

                “Oh right, Christmas.” Bucky rubs his eyes with one hand. “Stevie wake up.” Bucky nudges his mate with his forehead. Steve grumbles and slowly sits up. It takes him a second too. The both of them hadn’t slept properly the night before. They were so comfortable and content they really passed out that night. Steve gets with it pretty fast. He throws the blankets off him and jumps up.

                “Christmas!” He yells. The kids jump up and down excitedly.

                “Christmas!” They parrot back.

.oOo.

                Bucky and Steve send a quick text then lead their kids out and down the hallway. The twins gasp and scream joyfully when they walk out into the visitor’s area and discover that they are not alone. Their friends and family have occupied the sitting area. The presents from home are piled under a tree next to the presents from the Richards’ home and the Lebeau home. The families and kids are all there. Valeria and Lo Ann run and hug the twins excitedly. They’re followed by the swarm of Lebeau children and eventually Franklin too.

                Steve shoots his mate a satisfied smile. Bucky hip bumps him and takes his hand. They take their spot by the tree next to the sizeable pile of presents. Bucky sits between Natasha and Steve. Natasha looks a little watery around the eyes to see him doing so well after how damaged he was just two days prior. Bucky nudges her thigh with his knee. She pushes back and sucks in her lower lip embarrassedly.

                Tony bursts in through the swinging double doors wearing a Santa suit with no beard. He’s also missing the fat belly (the man’s vanity at play of course). Bruce, sporting a hat with elf ears attached, helps him push a large box into the room to add to the pile.

                “What on earth is that? A mini cannon?” Barton asks. God Bucky hopes it’s a mini cannon. He’s always wanted one of those.

                “You’ll just have to see when the Rogers’ unwrap it.” Tony says mysteriously. He points at the Rogers’ kids who are already reaching for it. “Last! This is the sort of present that should be a grand finale.” The kids look miffed but intrigued.

                Ben Grimm and Johnny Storm come in next with coffee, hot chocolate, doughnuts, and Christmas cookies for everyone. The adults flock to the coffee urgently.

                “Remy hasn’t been up dat early since he was on call wid da X men.” Remy rubs at his eyes. He drove his family down that morning while his six kids and Rogue slept in the van. He’s a very good dad.

                “It wasn’t that bad.” Reed Richards rolls his eyes while he dunks a doughnut in his coffee.

                “Easy for you to say!” Ben adds. “You didn’t go to sleep!” He laughs.

                “I thought we were opening some presents here?” Clint interjects.

                “Yeah!” The gaggle of children agrees. The twins settle down with Billy by their parent’s feet. Billy seems more interested with the Christmas ornaments on the tree than the packages. The rest of the kids are eagerly awaiting the go-ahead to attack their piles of gifts, Sasha and Jamie are just trying to soak up their mother’s presence. They both have their heads leaned on their mommy’s knees.

                “Is everybody here?” Sue asks. She tries counting the group.

                “Jane and Darcy are on their way.” Bruce tells her.

                Natasha checks her phone. “Fury, Hill, and Colson are inbound. Hill says expect them in five.”

                “Aww!” Lo Ann groans. She collapses backwards dramatically. Valeria snorts at her.

                “I don’t think they’d mind if you opened one present before they get here.” Steve suggests. Because it’s Christmas, who denies kids their gifts on Christmas?

                “Please! Please! Please! PLEEAASSSE!” Lo Ann begs her mother with her sisters and brothers as back-up.

                “Only if it’s okay with the Richards’ too.” She decides diplomatically.

                “Does this apply to adults as well?” Johnny asks.

                “Why do you care? You’re a big kid anyway?” Ben jabs him with his elbow.

                “Hey!” Johnny shouts indignantly. Sue pats Johnny’s shoulder while she fights off a smile.

                “I think if we all get to open _one_ gift it should be okay.” She announces. The eager beavers in the room snatch their first gifts immediately.

                Darcy comes charging into the room with Jane on her heels a second later. “Hey! We’re here!”

                “Why’re you late?” Clint asks as Darcy sits down on the ground with the kids.

                “Because sleep! Why do you think?” Darcy squawks. Jane walks up to Bruce’s side. He puts an arm around her casually as if this happens all the time. Tony’s brain function drops to fifteen percent at this observation. While the rest of the group opens their first gifts Tony just stares.

                “Um… so? What?” Tony shakes his head. Bruce gives Tony a weird look back.

                “Really? You didn’t know?” Bruce grins triumphantly. Jane fist pumps.

                “You two are dating? How long has that been going on?” Clint barks. Now distracted from the gift that Natasha is unwrapping. A spatula from Wade, it seems.

                “Yup.” Bruce answers simply. He and Jane pull up chairs and sit down next to their pile.

                “That’s not an answer!” Tony waves his arms. Pepper tisks at him.

                “Let it go Tony.”

                “I can’t let this go! This has been going on right under my nose, in my lab for what? Six weeks?”

                Bruce and Jane silently unwrap presents. Jane looks up at him. “Higher.”

                “Three months?” Tony tries again.

                “Higher.” Bruce finishes unwrapping a flower vase meant to look like a Meker-Fisher Burner. It’s from Pepper. “Thank you Pepper that’s fantastic!”

                “You’re welcome. Okay fine I’ll play too. How about a year?” She guesses.

                “Higher.” Jane unwraps a gizmo from Tony that has got something to do with her research.

                “A year and a half?” Tony guesses. Bruce shakes his head. “Two years?” Bruce shakes his head again. “Three years!?” Tony yells. Nobody is paying attention to him. Bruce sighs, taking pity on the man.

                “Tony we’ve been dating for five years. We just got engaged three days ago.” Bruce admits. That draws the attention of all of the adults.

                “Wait, what?” Steve asks, a pleased note to his voice.

                Jane flushes red. Bruce takes off his glasses. “We got engaged three days ago.”

                “You’re getting _married_?!” Tony has to sit down. He takes his hat off and stares at them.

                “We’re two betas, Tony. That’s the thing to do.” Bruce continues to try and explain. “Can we not make Christmas all about our engagement please? We’re trying to open presents.”

                “This bachelor party is going to be like playing with nitroglycerine.” Clint shakes his head. He opens up a pair of fluffy purple cat socks from Darcy and squeals with joy, completely over his last comment.

                The last three guests walk in with coffee and a few gifts in big bags.

                “Welcome to the party. Did you know Bruce and Jane were dating?” Tony asks robotically. Fury sets down his bag of presents.

                “Yes I did. Five years, bout time you two got engaged. Congratulations.” Fury inclines his head to the two engaged scientists. Jane twitches with the feeling that nothing is ever private in her life. Bruce seems to have gotten over that by now.

                “Thank you. I hope you’ll be there for the ceremony.”

                “Wouldn’t miss this for a world crisis.” Colson says sincerely.

                “Hopefully we won’t have any scheduling conflicts.” Bruce shrugs.

                “Okay everybody’s here!” Sue announces. “Dig in!”

                Wrapping paper, tissue paper, and bags go flying.

.oOo.

                The kids have decimated their piles. Sasha and Jamie made out like bandits on their Christmas lists this year. They got pretty much everything they wanted between all their adopted family and their parents. Finally they’re down to Tony’s present. The other two families are figuring out breakfast arrangements while the others watch the unveiling of whatever crazy thing Tony made. Steve has been elected the official present opener for the family. Normally Bucky would be, but he’s missing an arm.

                Steve carefully peels back the wrapping paper of the large box. It’s about two feet by two feet by five feet. Steve figures it must weigh close to a hundred pounds. He pops open the tape at the end of the box and opens the side. Steve frightens at the sight of paws. “Tony what the-!”

                “It’s okay! Here let me.” Tony takes a box cutter and splits the top in half. Inside the box is a large, perfectly still golden retriever. “Tada!”

                Bucky and Steve exchange confused glances. “Did you get us… a stuffed dog?” It looks so real, it’s probably taxidermy. Steve is leaving this thing in the garbage if this is a taxidermy dog.

                “No! Well yes. Kind of? He is stuffed but not with stuffing.” Tony ineffectively explains.

                “Tony… is the dog dead?” Steve tries to ask calmly. Internally he wants to cry or scream in some combination.

                “ _No_!” Tony throws his hands up. “I did not get you a dead dog for Christmas! He’s not dead he’s in off mode.”

                “Off mode?” Steve still is skeptical despite being told it is not a dead dog.

                “He’s a robot. But that doesn’t really do him justice. Ever seen Blade Runner? With the funky synthetic animals? It’s like that. You won’t be able to tell he’s not a real dog. He’s not even aware he’s not a real dog. He’s perfect!” Tony explains. “He doesn’t need to do his business at all because all he eats are these little snacks I made that give him gas and make his breath smell bad. You know, for the real dog experience.” Steve blinks in wonder. “He only drinks water so that he can drool and have a wet nose and eyes.”

                 The children lean past their father interestedly. Sasha reaches out and pets the dog’s head. He feels just like a real dog. She keeps stroking him because he’s very soft. Steve joins in petting him.

                “So how does he get out of off mode?”

                “You have to say ‘Dog On Mode’. Dog is his default name. You can call him anything. It just takes some simple little commands. I have a manual.”

                Steve clears his throat. “Dog On Mode.”

                The dog wakes as if startled. He looks around, sniffs a few times, looks up at Steve and begins happily panting. He jumps on Steve immediately. “Woah!” Steve holds onto him to keep in his sitting position. He even feels like a dog in his body shape. Steve can’t even imagine how Tony made it feel like the dog has real fat and muscle. A lot of fat actually. Tony made him a fat dog? The dog licks Steve’s chin with a dry tongue. That feels just like a dog too. “Oh wow! Bucky come see him!” Bucky gets up from his chair and apprehensively approaches the synthetic animal. The dog goes back and forth from sniffing Steve to the children and peppering them all with little licks while wagging his tail enthusiastically. The dog spots Bucky and goes still.

                “Now watch this.” Tony points. “I put some special thought into it.” The Dog approaches Bucky, sits down calmly at his feet and puts his head in Bucky’s lap. He wags his tail in greeting. “He’s designed to be gentle with Bucky so he doesn’t freak him out.” Bucky scratches the dog’s ear. It twitches and his tail wagging intensifies.

                “Mommy, can we keep him?” Sasha asks. Tony rubs the back of his neck.

                “I know you’re not supposed to give people pets for gifts. I just thought since you guys wanted one but couldn’t ‘cause of the tower’s set up maybe I could… But if you don’t want him Pepper and I love him, we’ll take him back.”

                “No.” Bucky strokes the dog’s nose with his index finger. “I really like him too.”

                Steve lets out a deep sigh of relief. He was sold the moment that dog looked at him. “Okay Tony, how do we name him?”

                The kids buzz with delight. Bucky pulls Billy over from where he was playing with the wrapping paper so he can meet their new friend. The dog bumps noses with Billy gently. The two year old loves him instantly and takes to hugging his neck.

.oOo.

                They end up naming him Roger Rogers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Factoid of interest: In this reality dogs/cats do not wear collars. Collars are for omegas. Dogs wear harnesses, which are better anyway. 
> 
> As you can see, Thor has been gone for eight years. Jane is no longer waiting for him. Jane needed somebody more in this galaxy. Bruce is a far better match for her intellectually. They are both brilliant physicists and way more compatible than Jane and Thor. I love Thor. Thor is great. But as a smart girl myself I know that sometimes a pretty face is nice but it really doesn't matter if the mind behind it isn't up to stuff with yours. Thor is not stupid but he's not on Jane's level of intelligence either. There are lots of other reasons I think they're cute together but that's the main one. 
> 
> Lol, Roger Rogers. His middle name is Rover.  
> -The Trollop


	46. Chapter 46

               The two visiting families have gone home to see other relatives. The Lebeau’s to see Remy’s family (and Logan) and the Richards’ to see Sue and Johnny’s family. Christmas dinner is a delicious mix of everyone’s favorite take-out. Bucky can’t figure out why so many of these restaurants are open considering the day. Steve tells him to let it go. It still bothers Bucky while they eat.

               Darcy and Tony are the ones who approach Steve and take him aside to talk about ‘Bruce’s bachelor party’. Bucky is too distracted by the kids involving him in playing with their Christmas presents to find that fishy. It’s a pretty good excuse even if he had noticed. The lead Steve out into the hallway where Coulson, Hill, and Fury are already waiting. Steve plants his hands on his hips, taking a confident stance even if he isn’t feeling it.

               “I’m guessing this is about the media thing?” Steve starts out.

               “You’re correct.” Coulson tells him.

               “I really did look into doing something about the pictures.” Tony tells them all. “It’s too big, I honestly would have to destroy popular websites to get them to disappear. What’s the point anyway? Everyone already knows.” Tony sighs.

               “Bucky doesn’t.” Steve says firmly setting his jaw.

               “That’s our concern. How is he going to react to this?” Fury asks.

               Steve blinks a few times. “He’s going to have a meltdown the likes of which we’ve never seen before.” He says calmly. He is most certainly not feeling _that_ when it come to this subject.

               “I’m suggesting we postpone that as long as possible.” Coulson crosses his arms.

               “No shit.” Fury scoffs.

               “When exactly is a good time for him to have a meltdown?” Hill says sardonically. “It’s going to go south no matter what. How happy do you think he’s going to be when he finds out we’ve been keeping this from him?”

               “I don’t know the answer to that.” Steve shakes his head. “He’s delicate right now because of the arm and the scientists. And his heat’s just around the corner too.”

               “How would telling him balls deep go over?” Tony rolls his eyes. He says it mockingly which is what saves him from a black eye.

               “I don’t think that bares contemplating.” Coulson gives him an unamused smile. Coulson is a master of the unamused smile.

               “Can I say something?” Darcy pipes up. She even raises her hand.

               “Go ahead Ms. Lewis.” Coulson responds.

               “Right.” She looks at Steve. “Ever heard of a webcast?”

               “Sort of?” Steve says uncertainly.

               “I think you should give one of those. Just come clean about the twins and Billy. Right now the press is clawing for any information they can get. The only way to get them to stop is to just tell the shit-heads. Take the venom out. They’re still going to spin it how they will. But at least if you say something you can be clear on just how much of a dick move that is. Nobody wants to get shamed by Captain America. Shame the press, give your fans something to celebrate. People are so excited you have kids! They’re already national treasures. I’m not kidding. People would take bullets for them, just because they’re yours. You have no idea how protective people get over celebrity babies. Especially good ones like yours.”

                “How’s that going to help with Bucky?” Steve sees her point. Just not that one.

                “If everyone loves them, then instead of just having our family on their side we’ve got the whole world pulling for them. It’s like a great big security blanket made out of good people. You know, in a not creepy way. How could Bucky not be comforted by that?” Darcy sounds certain. The three SHIELD leaders not so much.

                “As many friends as this might make, it’s also going to give our enemies a lot of ideas. Just look what Hydra almost did to them.” Hill argues.

                “You know as much as I really don’t want to make this point because everyone will hate me, I feel the need to point out that those two eight year old children destroyed multiple Doombots with knives and their fists. It took Me, Nat, and Barton with the best weapons in the world to do the same thing. Those kids are crazy scary. Like, I would not want to be the bad guy that thought going after them was a good idea. The only reason they got in a bad place was because they got ambushed and outnumbered. By _Doombots_ I don’t think we can understate how hard those fuckers are to kill. Like really, look what they did to Bucky.”

                Nick makes a thoughtful face and tips his head from side to side. “You have a point. Those kids are not to be trifled with.”

                Steve sighs. “Just give me a couple of days, contain the situation with all the good PR you can do without me. I just… I need to compose what I’m going to say for once. I need to be sure of what Bucky wants me to say and the only way to know is to ask him. I don’t know how to do that yet but I will.”

                “We trust you Cap. We’ll do what we can.” Fury tells him solemnly.

                “And I will work on how to deal with that meltdown in the likely case this goes south.” Coulson smiles to hide the grimace.

.oOo.

                Two days go by while Bucky heals into the mesh graft. With his enhanced healing and steroid therapy it takes just four days for Bucky to regrow a thin layer of skin to cover the wounds. It’s a huge relief for everyone because it means Bucky’s risk of infection has dropped dramatically. It also means his next operation is scheduled for the following day. It’s not a good time to bring up the media frenzy. It’s a good time to try and forget that the world outside them exists.

                The kids sleep together in their room with Roger Rogers as their guardian so Steve and Bucky can have some time alone together in Bucky’s room. Steve is curled up protectively around his mate. Now that Bucky has skin again and bandages to cover it, they can spoon properly. Bucky sighs in Steve’s arms. He feels safe, warm, and relaxed. For the time being, he wants nothing more in the world.

                Then Steve shifts his hips snugly up against his backside and Bucky’s mind wanders. Steve, despite seeming utterly content, is sporting a very solid erection. Bucky unconsciously shifts his hips back into that hot pressure. The omega huffs out a sigh through barely parted lips. Steve leans over Bucky’s shoulder to gently kiss his soft lips.

                “You okay, Baby?” Steve asks him with their cheeks flush together. Bucky moves his am so he can intertwine his fingers with those on the hand Steve is using to caress his stomach.

                “Are you?” Bucky stares at him out of the corner of his eye. Steve turns his head and kisses him again.

                “Um. Yeah I think so.” Steve says uncertainly between sweet pecks to Bucky’s jaw and neck. He’s being careful to not disturb the bandages covering Bucky’s new skin.

                “I was just wondering, since I think you’re going to come in your pants in about five minutes if you keep this up.” Bucky raises one eyebrow. He gives his mate a skeptical look. Steve grumbles and simmers down. He glues his front to Bucky’s back and presses his lips and nose into the nape of his mate’s neck. Bucky shivers as Steve breathes on him. The hair on the back of his neck stands up. Steve is still _so_ hard.

                Steve stays still in awkward silence behind Bucky. The omega takes a deep breath, scenting the air for the presence of his mate’s pheromones. Sure enough, they’re there.

                “It’s your rut ain’t it?”

                “Not really…” Steve holds firmly onto Bucky. “I won’t rut until your heat technically.”

                “Technically you smell like a rutting alpha, Stevie.” Bucky smirks. He wishes he had his other arm so he could play with Steve’s hair.

`               “Technically you’re supposed to be _in season_ in four days. My body isn’t quiet up with recent medical events.”

                “So I can feel.” Bucky chuckles as he teases him. Steve groans miserably and buries his face into his mate’s good shoulder. “Oh come on, I’m sure we can work something out.” Bucky nudges Steve with his shoulder. Steve props his chin up with his hand, interested.

                “What did you have in mind?”

                “Well I might not be ripe for a few more days but if you play with my ass a little, I’m sure I’ll slick up enough for you to lube up my thighs.” Steve’s mouth water’s at the thought. They haven’t done that since the war. Steve kisses him behind his ear enthusiastically.

                “That sounds fantastic.” He says with an aroused purr he has no control over. Rut has the puzzling effect of making the alpha voice sound ‘growly’. Steve’s lovely, deep voice takes on a particularly rumbly quality during his rut. He may not be in outright rut yet but he defiantly sounds like it.

                Steve takes off his pants then helps Bucky drag his sleep pants and underwear down to his knees. Steve sits up while he examines his mate’s rear. Bucky’s already starting to get a pleasant drip going, he’s grateful to see.

                “Does just offering yourself to me get you wet these days?” Steve asks quietly. Bucky can just barely see his mate’s face out of the corner of his eye. Steve looks enraptured. The alpha kneads one cheek before he spreads him open to inspect Bucky’s flushed pink hole.

“Yes…”Bucky begins to breathe more heavily under Steve’s scrutiny. The puckered muscle quivers in anticipation of being breached. Bucky pushes his face into his pillow to muffle the noise he knows he’s going to make when Steve pushes a finger inside him. But it’s not a finger that touches him at all.

                Bucky’s hips jerk in Steve’s grasp as Steve licks into him. Bucky does make a noise. Bucky makes a whole litany on indecent noises. When he suggested to Steve that he slick up his thighs, he did not assume Steve would be doing it with his mouth. Steve eagerly probes his mate for the closest glands.  The omega’s body doesn’t seem to know it’s not going into heat this week either. Just arousal alone will make his glands slowly seep out lubricant but if Steve touches them with his tongue or fingers, they’ll gush. Steve flicks his tongue against the inner rim of his mate’s hole, right where his knotting glands are located. Those yield a particularly nice flow for Steve to lap up and smear onto his mate’s inner thighs. He continues back and forth with this process until Bucky’s thighs gleam with slick and saliva.

                Bucky’s head feels foggy but good. He’s sweaty, horny, and thoroughly eaten out. He’s getting less and less mindful of the sounds he makes. Steve playfully nips his omega’s superb ass to get him to yip. As desired, he makes a surprised little gasping noise. The noise ends with something that sounds like Steve’s name.

                Steve gathers up the blankets at their feet and carefully lays down behind Bucky. He pulls the blankets up to just past their waist. Maybe it’s a habit. They’ve done this before with people sleeping five feet away from them. For some reason trying to cover up what they’re doing makes it feel dirtier. Maybe they aren’t really sneaking now (nobody said they couldn’t do this, Bucky’s not hooked up to any monitors, there isn’t even security) but back in the war they certainly were. It’s exciting for them.

                Steve pushes his cock in between Bucky’s closed thighs. He angles his hips upward so that the head of his penis stops in the space behind Bucky’s balls. Steve sighs in relief at the feeling of pressure. It’s not as intense as it is inside Bucky’s body but it still feels phenomenal compare to the scratchy confines of his underwear. Steve wraps his arms around his mate’s middle and slowly oscillates his hips. Bucky bites his lip and adjusts so Steve can fit more of his length between his thighs. One of Steve’s hands fumbles and takes hold of Bucky’s erection so he can jerk him off in time with his thrusts. Bucky muffles his moans by biting his fist.

                They grind together heatedly trying not to make noises that will alert any passing medical staff to their activities. Bucky winds up gripping the pillow while Steve lets him bite and suck his fingers instead. The friction between their bodies is eased by Bucky’s dripping hole. There’s quite the mess between them now. Bucky’s thighs are trembling so badly it’s hard from him to remember to keep them tight around Steve. Bucky makes noises of protest against Steve’s fingers. Steve takes a second to recognize that’s what they are. He was rather enamored with listening to Bucky’s racing pulse in the place he’s kissing. A hard bite gets the message across. Steve removes his fingers.

                “Sorry. Hmm?” Steve goes back to nibbling Bucky’s pulse point while he listens to his request.

                “Why don’t you put those in the other place so I can get off?” Bucky begs.

                Steve growls in response. Bucky leans forward more so Steve can slide his hand between them. He hooks his fingers inside his mate at once. Bucky mewls appreciatively. Steve’s deft fingers find the spongy spot inside him easily.

                “Oh!” Bucky squeezes his eyes shut and lets his mouth hang open. Steve’s thrusts intensify. He’s having trouble knotting without a squeeze on the last three inches closest to his base. His knot is half inflated but struggling to stay so without resistance. He whimpers in frustration into Bucky’s neck. Bucky tries to nuzzle him comfortingly. Steve takes his hand away in favor of something else. Steve shifts them and presses his knot into the cleft of Bucky’s ass while squeezing Bucky’s cheeks around himself. He continues to thrust shallowly between Bucky’s thighs. Bucky makes a loud, strangled, choking noise that fills the whole room and reverberates off the walls. Steve’s knot is pressed right into his swollen entrance. It’s such a tease and so damn good. He wishes he could see what this looks like from Steve’s perspective.

                 From Steve’s perspective this is pure erotic ecstasy. His hips jerk erratically a few more times as he grips onto Bucky so hard he’ll probably bruise him. “Buck!” Steve holds his breath and comes. Bucky pants heavily with him as Steve keeps grinding into Bucky while he ejaculates. Bucky takes his release into his own hands, literally. He strokes his weeping dick the few times that are necessary for him to spill over his hand too. Steve reaches down and tightly grips his knot to keep the flow of endorphins going. He returns his fingers to their place inside Bucky. Bucky grips onto the pillow again but then forsakes it for the edge of the bed.

                 “Oh! Stevie! Oh!” Bucky clenches around those fingers as if to keep them there forever. Steve curls his finger just the right way for Bucky. Bucky grunts as his body tips into a cloacal orgasm far more powerful than the one he just experienced. “Fuck!” He whimpers. Steve’s fingers are coated when he eventually withdraws them. He licks them clean to check the taste. An omega’s slick gets sweeter during heat. Steve observes the heat taste in his mate’s slick and wonders not for the first time if that shot they gave him is really going to work. It seems to have dulled his pre-heat symptoms of discomfort and excessive sex drive but not much else. It worries him. He sighs and tries to concentrate on the here and now.

                 “I think we need new sheets.” Bucky says between deep calmly breaths. His heart rate slowly decreases leaving him sleepy. Steve’s feeling that too but as always his alpha instinct to protect after mating takes over. He’ll figure out the sheet thing for Bucky. He uses the sink to clean up and puts his pants back on. Steve saved the nurses sister once. Hopefully the nurse won’t mind helping out as a thank you.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Worrisome I know. Also sex in semi-public places. Intercrural sex at that. Probably didn't write that exactly how that is supposed to work but you know what, huge dicks and knots complicate things. You are probably wondering how big huge is by this point. Well it's kind of up to you. He's definitely the best hung out of the Avengers. OhCaptainMyCaptain, my personal inspiration, once put the length at ten and a half inches. For proportionality sake that'd probably give the damn thing a diameter of 2-3 inches. But if that seems ridiculous you are more than welcome to imagine a more modest proportion. I will remind you that the largest penis on record measures 13.5 inches long. The more you know. 
> 
> What was a writing about? I had a plot right? Oh right! Enjoy this little nugget of happy. I'm going to be on a trip for a few days and when I come back I bring pain and suffering. Good. This pleases Trollop.
> 
> also there was an extra publish on my tumblr there were dog farts involved.  
> this is the link to that: http://thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com/post/110045876879/a-deleted-excerpt-from-the-winter-soldier-goes  
> also this is head canon of Bucky's butt: http://33.media.tumblr.com/394315aff8450575ff1bac42a91fab65/tumblr_n2idb73iXb1rbpl6to1_500.gif  
> -The Trollop


	47. Chapter 47

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Medical trauma

             Bucky’s surgery is scheduled for six am. He gets up and goes to take a shower to disinfect his shoulder in preparation for the extremely painful event to follow. Today they will be anchoring the plates of the weapon into his skin, fusing the plates to the metal mesh using a glue that will give Bucky chemical burns, and reactivating the nerves that control the plates on his shoulder. With the new safety precautions it will take six hours to do the first two steps alone. Bucky methodically dabs disinfectant onto the metal mesh when his mate suddenly peels back the shower curtain. Bucky looks at him owlishly. Steve just smiles back all the more lovingly.

             “Is there room for me?” The shower is quiet small. Bucky uncertainly shifts forward so his mate can slide in behind him. Steve unceremoniously begins washing Bucky’s hair. Within a few minutes Bucky has submitted to just letting Steve wash him. It feels good to be handled so gently. “You’re going to be fine today.” Steve assures him for the hundredth time. Bucky swallows nervously.

             “I know. Because you’ll be there with me the whole time.” Bucky closes his eyes and lets Steve direct his head to rinse off.

             “Love you, Buck.” Steve says quietly in a strangled voice. Bucky looks over his shoulder at his mate. The water hides the tears but not the pained look or the red eyes. This is going to hurt Steve as much as it will him. “I,” Steve pulls his lower lip between his teeth. Bucky gently kisses his cheek.

              “I love you too, Stevie. I’ll give you a minute.” Bucky nuzzles him briefly before getting out of the shower and toweling off. He wraps a towel around his waist and leaves the bathroom so he won’t accidentally overhear his mate crying. Bucky doesn’t want to have that sound playing on repeat in his head for the surgery. The bathroom is attached to his new fancy hospital room. He’s now returned to the room he slept in the night before. He finds a clean pair of underwear and a hospital gown set out for him and puts on both. He’s supposed to see someone about getting some slippers. His feet are cold and there are never slippers. He grumbles in Russian and goes out into the hallway.

               Something catches his eye. Down the hall in the nurse’s lounge through a window he can see a TV with the news playing. For just a second he was certain he saw himself with two children dressed in red and black.

               Bucky walks towards the nurse’s lounge quickly. The door is locked but the bolt snaps when he yanks it open. The two nurses inside screech. He doesn’t pay attention to them. On the screen a stabilized version of a shaky cellphone video shows him holding his children while the EMT’s are looking over them. Sasha’s pretty face is clearly visible as she tells one of the emergency workers what happened to her. On the screen Bucky kisses her temple, Jamie’s too. Now Jamie is talking to Natasha, concernedly gesturing towards Bucky’s arm. Then the camera cuts to images of news vans and a mob of people-watchers outside the hospital he’s in right now. It’s a live feed. The subtitles explain that there is speculation on the condition of The Winter Soldier and even more controversy over his children. The two of them have already been identified by name by an anonymous source. The whole world knows that The Winter Soldier has two children named Alexandra and James Barnes Rogers and worse, the current address they are located in.

                He chucks the TV through the window down the hallway into a distant wall. The nurses flee as fast as they can. The Winter Soldier bares his teeth and snarls, seeing an army of threats instead of an empty hospital corridor. He moves quickly down the hallway to go find his surgery team. He needs The Weapon to defend his family. Steve bursts out of their room looking terrified.

                “Bucky!?” Steve yells, spinning around in search of him.

                The Winter Soldier slips away. Some missions are better accomplished by Bucky Barnes. Bucky whips his head around and screams unintelligibly in reply. Tears stream down his face, contorted into the picture of wounded rage. Steve stares at him, shocked by the savagery he sees in his mate’s features. Even at his most brutal, The Winter Soldier never exhibits intense physical emotion. This is the face of a man who has just had all safety ripped away from him. He is exposed but it’s not him that’s been revealed, it’s the one thing he cannot stand being threatened.

                Bucky’s lower lip shakes as he sucks down deep breaths of air. “You knew.” He spits, accusingly. He is absolutely certain Steve knew. Bucky raises his voice back to its screaming volume. “You knew this whole time and you let me think they were safe!”

                “Buck, they’re-.” Steve tries to say but he’s cut off by another wild cry of lament. Bucky stumbles into the wall, hanging his head as his shoulders shake. Steve can’t help it, he has to get to him. He disregards his under-used self-preservation instincts and rushes to his mate. As soon as he’s within arm’s length, he’s trying to pull Bucky to him. “Bucky please, let me-.” Bucky thrashes violently out of his grasp. Even with one arm he gets free. Steve tries to grab him again but this time Bucky answers him back with a punch.

                His fist hits Steve like a cinderblock to the head. Steve crumbles to the ground in an unconscious heap. Bucky huffs, his vision is too bleary to see the broken look on his mate’s face. Bucky has the choice to leave him there on the ground or to bring him along. Steve has betrayed his trust. The Winter Soldier slits the throats of traitors on instinct. Given what Steve withheld, he should do much more than just leave him behind. Bucky doesn’t say much to The Winter Soldier during the blurry transitions between the two of them. This time, while they both occupy the same physical space, Bucky whispers something in his own ear. Devastated or not, he can’t leave Steve behind.  

.oOo.

Two hours later…

                The crowd around the hospital has been cleared away for their own safety. SHIELD has officially declared the floor The Winter Soldier is on a potential disaster sight. Right now there is no one on that floor except for the people The Winter Soldier chose. Fury’s just grateful he let Natasha and Barton stay. Hawkeye and Black Widow have become Winter’s security detail charged with pacing the halls looking for anyone trying to break through the perimeter The Soldier set. Natasha was very clear with Fury. She is not taking his orders on this, not while The Winter Soldier is depending on her.

.oOo.

                The edges of the plates hook into his skin. A thin row of spikes goes in straight while pressure is applied to the base of the spikes. Then once the desired depth is reached the base of the spikes is released. The spikes curve in alternating directions. They’re fishhooks the size of Velcro hooks. They slice deep and hold fast. Blood drips freely until a type of superglue is applied to staunch the bleeding. Each plate’s edge is lined up precisely so they interlock to form The Winter Soldier’s armored shoulder. His technicians work tirelessly to put him back together.

                The Winter Soldier told Stark and Banner to leave them the hell alone. They didn’t understand. There is no time for foolish concern over his wellbeing. The only thing that matters is that he is whole again as soon as possible. Torez and Sinulaki work together while Radnitzer hands them pieces and makes sure they don’t work out of order. After Sinulaki hooks in a plate Torez solders the nerve sensors into the underside of the plate. The nerves within the shoulder plates are mostly just pressure sensors. Torez needs to put them in before they glue down the plates to the mesh. Then her real work will begin when she reconnects the severed nerve ‘blanket’ that controls The Weapon to the five artificial nerve bundles protruding from The Winter Soldier’s shoulder. The nerves she installs now are a part of the blanket.

                The Winter Soldier has informed his handlers that they will fully install The Weapon that day. He wants to be fully operational by that night regardless of the pain. This is the first time in the history of The Winter Soldier that The Soldier has given orders to his handlers. Today he does it at knife point.

                While they dig into him with needles and burn him with glue, The Winter Soldier watches them intently for anything suspicious. Any hesitation he sees, anything he takes as a threat, is met by swift retribution.

                He clutches his knife in his intact hand for strength. His face is impassive as if he feels nothing. He doesn’t process what’s happening to him in terms of pain. Instead he focuses on what’s really important, completion. Who knows how long he has before he’s going to need to defend his family. They could be under attack at any time. He needs his Weapon.

.oOo.

Seven hours later…

                Steve slowly comes back to consciousness. He hasn’t felt this hazy since he woke up from the ice. He jerks to an upright position, terrified that’s what this is. He’s waking up again in some fake hospital room in New York. His mate is dead, his children were never born. It was all some kind of trick his mind played on him while he slept.

                “Daddy!” Sasha yips quietly. She clings onto him. Her brothers follow suit. Steve shakily exhales, feeling his heart return to normal rhythm. He holds them close. He looks them over. His three children are in good health. They are surrounded by bottles of water, different types of snack bar wrappers, and a sleeping fat golden retriever. They seem to be under some kind of sheet. Steve blinks a few times and gathers the three of them in closer. He arranges Billy so he’s on the left side of his chest. Sasha is smooshed up against Billy. Jamie is doing the same thing without Billy in the way.

                “It’s okay.” Steve strokes their backs holding tightly to them all. “I’ve got you.” He remembers Bucky panicking, screaming, a punch to the face. This must be the fallout of that. Steve looks at the blanket covering them. He has no idea where they are. Did Bucky arrange them like this? Do the kids understand what’s happening? Where’s Bucky? Oh please God let Bucky be safe.

                Steve pulls on the sheet until it comes loose from whatever it was tied too. Something goes crashing to the ground. People shuffles around. Steve ducks his head out of the sheet but keeps it so the kids are still covered.

                Standing in front of him is The Winter Soldier holding a knife to his jaw as if he has no idea who Steve is. His eyes are dark and dead looking. Steve can see why. He’s dissociating to not feel the pain. Bucky’s arm is nearly fully attached. They’ve reset the metal humorous that acts as a sort of axel for The Weapon. The Weapon from the elbow down has been reattached but the nerves are still off. The mesh that supports The Weapon’s weight and holds the blanket of it’s nerves is in place. The ‘guts’ of the upper arm are missing as are the final plates around the deltoid and biceps brachii. Steve realizes he must have been out for a very long time. The Winter Soldier’s sudden movement must have ripped something open. A trail of blood runs down from his arm pit.

                “Bucky…” Steve really doesn’t know what to say. The three Hydra scientists are waiting for the opportunity to go back to work. The room is full of bloody instruments and the pungent scent of disinfectant. A little bit of the emptiness recedes from The Soldier’s eyes at the sound of his name. The Winter Soldier flips the knife in his hand over so it points away from Steve’s artery. He uses the pad of his thumb to lightly stroke Steve’s bruised check bone.

                “Stay with the children. It won’t be long now.” He instructs tonelessly. Under the sheet Roger Rogers in nudging his leg. Steve tries to brush him away but the dog persists.

                The Winter Soldier avoids Steve’s pleading look and goes back to the operating chair. The scientist’s hands are on him immediately. They begin working again without so much as asking. The Winter Soldier fixes his gaze on Steve. The dog head-butts him under the sheet. The kids are fidgeting too. Steve just wants to be over there with his mate. He looks at Bucky’s hand clenched around the knife and hates himself for letting that be what comforts him now of all times. That should be Steve’s hand he’s holding.

                The Winter Soldier grunts to signal the scientists to stop. They are surprisingly obedient. Steve spots a few explanatory spots of blood on their scrubs that might be from disciplinary flesh wounds. The Winter Solider walks back over to Steve, yanks the sheet out of his hand, pulls it over his head again and pins the sheet to the wall with his knife.

                 “I said stay.” The Solider says to his family covered in the white sheet. His breath catches as images of bodies wrapped in white sheets flit through his mind. He emits the most subtle of whines and returns to the operating table, fishing a new knife out of his stash before he returns. He has to hurry if he wants to keep that vision only just that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have a tumblr. You should follow me so I can show you happier things than this. 
> 
> This is my tumblr: http://thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com/
> 
> -The Trollop


	48. Chapter 48

                With the sheet obscuring his view of his mate, Steve can only guess what’s going on. Machine noises start. It sounds like some kind of saw. Steve grimaces, his tear ducts ache with overuse. “Buck?” He knows he’s doing a terrible job of being strong for his kids. He knows they are looking at him for an example and he’s giving them a whining pile of mush. He can’t help it. His other half is being hurt in the same room as him and he’s not even allowed to watch. He’s lost the privilege. Steve squares his jaw. He deserves this. Exile is a hundred percent appropriate considering. He just wishes the exile could begin after Bucky’s done with whatever horrible thing that’s being done to him.

                He wants to comfort like he promised he would. He wants to hold Bucky to his chest like he’s holding their children now. Bucky _needs_ him. He asked for him this morning. He asked for him to be there with him the whole time those monsters touch him. Steve swallows down the painful lump in his throat. Bucky must know what this is doing to him. Not only is this denying his instincts it’s also spitting on the intricate emotional bond they’ve formed since childhood. It’s one thing to ignore him as an alpha, Steve’s not easily offended by that. But to just forsake everything that’s between them as friends, lovers, soulmates? That feels like a lash on Steve’s heart.

                Bucky doesn’t want him. It’s such an unfamiliar concept to him that it refuses to sink in. What else could this be? He put Steve away. Steve’s place should always be by Bucky’s side. Steve thinks about the way Bucky looked at him in the hallway. How is their relationship supposed to recover from that kind of hurt? Steve’s done plenty of stupid things before that pissed Bucky off but nothing that’s ever wounded him like this. Steve’s supposed to be Bucky’s solution not his problem. How was he supposed to avoid this? All he wanted to do was take care of his mate. He was just doing his best. Is Bucky really going to hate him for doing his best? Oh…

                It hadn’t even occurred to him before now, Bucky could hate him. Bucky would never do it lightly but he could hate him over this. Over the love of their children, Bucky could hate him. Steve can’t breathe around the thorny barb in his throat. It’s just not fair! Bucky could hate him and Steve would still be hopelessly besotted over every little fiber of his mate’s being. What would Bucky do if he hated him? Would he take the children, go to ground in the Canadian wilderness and hide from him for the rest of their lives out of spite? Is that something his Bucky could do? Maybe not Bucky but The Winter Solider could. He knows he could. If he deemed Steve an irresponsible father and mate he’d rip it all away from him. He’d tear his heart out and walk away with the arteries and veins still clinging to his chest. They’d never detach. Steve would look for him until the end of his life. He’d look because he couldn’t not. He’d search for him just as helplessly as he had searched after Bucky pulled him out of the Potomac. 

                What is he supposed to do? Sit there under this sheet while The Winter Soldier gathers his strength to run? Is he keeping Steve penned up with his children to say _goodbye_? How is Steve supposed to accept that? How is Steve supposed to live without his most precious person? He can’t. He has to do whatever it takes to stop this. He has to have him in his life. He has to have all of them but he will die if he doesn’t have Bucky.

                “Bucky!” Steve yelps like a dog calling to their owner through a screen door.

                Bucky doesn’t respond. Machines buzz, instruments click, a dull electrical hiss reverberates off the walls. Steve would just get up but he can’t with his kids like this. They’re making no move to budge. Are they really this resigned to what will become of them now? Maybe they just came to terms with what Steve is feeling hours ago. They look like they might have. They cling onto him like this might be the last time.

                “It’s not going to do any good.” Jamie mutters just loud enough so the four of them can hear.

                “What?” Steve asks quietly. He strokes Jamie’s back. What if this is their last conversation?

                “We tried that earlier. He doesn’t listen. He’s The Winter Soldier, he doesn’t hear anything that will interfere with his mission. Right now that includes us.” Jamie explains forlornly. Sasha bites her lip, silently conceding he’s right. Steve’s gut twists. He can perfectly imagine The Winter Soldier not hearing him plead with him to stay while he disappears with his children. They’re completely right. Nothing any of them could do or say would stop him if he makes it a mission.

                “Can’t you do something?” Sasha sniffles. That lump in Steve’s throat has turned from barb to ball of barbwire.

                “I wish I could.” The depths to which that is true aren’t something he could put into words. “Mommy’s mad at me right now.” Steve takes a shaky breath. He thinks of Bucky’s face in the hallway, the sound of his screams, the way he said ‘You knew’. He did know. “I knew about your identities going public and I didn’t tell him. I should have but I didn’t know how.” How is it something that can be phrased in two simple sentences can so thoroughly destroy his life?

                “Mommy sad for wu?” Billy asks. Steve looks down at the little being on his shoulder.

                “Is Mommy sad for… me?” Steve repeats while he tries to understand his child.

                “Sad Mommy.” Billy’s chubby face droops around his frown. Steve’s not completely sure what Billy means by that. Steve strokes his head to try and comfort him. He’s a very empathetic baby. It worries Steve just how aware of the situation he is.

                “Daddy?” Sasha asks. She adjusts how she sits so she’s by his side now, still leaning on him with his arm around her shoulder.

                “Yeah Sweet Pea?”

                “What are we going to do now?” Sasha messes with the end of her braid. Roger Rogers uses this opportunity to drape himself in her lap. She puts her hands on his back to keep him from wriggling right into her father’s lap too.

                Steve considers his little family. He knows the answer. The Winter Soldier is going to take them somewhere safe where the rest of the world will never be able to find them. He will be left behind just like everything else The Soldier deems dangerous. They’ll probably leave as soon as Bucky’s done with his surgery.

                By the look on his kids faces, they know at least part of that. Their mother has told them about what they’ll do in case of a world threatening situation. This is probably going to go down just like that.

                “Um.” Steve shakes his head. “Mommy’s going to take you some place safe.” The mess in his throat finally wins. A few tears escape without Steve’s permission. He wipes them away angrily with the back of his hand.

                “Why?” Sasha huffs. “I don’t feel unsafe!” She says, getting frustrated. “Nothing is wrong!”

                “Mommy doesn’t see it that way.” Steve shakes his head more certainly.

                “Yeah but…” Jamie pipes up. “Is Mommy right?”

                Steve’s thoughts hit a wall with that. What if he’s thinking of this in the wrong way? Steve’s not the one who’s endangered their children. Bucky is.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You thought last chapter was frustrating? Hahahahahahahaha!
> 
> -The Trollop


	49. Chapter 49

                He closes his eyes while they work on him. There are sensors attached to his head, right arm, and the plates of The Weapon. They are calibrating his ability to feel. If they make the artificial nerves too sensitive he could potentially die from the pain. He knows what it’s like to fight with miss-calibrated nerves. Ideally they will be set to the point where he can tell he’s being touched. It’s a delicate and painful process. It’s better if he ignores this part. He opens his eyes again.

                In front of him are two men. The Winter Soldier sits on the ground with his back against the wall. He flips a knife in his hand back and forth while he thinks. Next to The Soldier stands Bucky Barnes with his arms and ankles crossed and his shoulder leaned against the wall. Bucky is wearing his dress uniform complete with his hat tilted to one side. He looks the way he did the night before he shipped out for the war.

                “So here we all are.” Bucky says with a tip of his head. “You, me, and him. Or is it me, me, and me? Kinda hard to tell sometimes ain’t it?” He says with a lively smile. The Winter Soldier looks up at him with big confused eyes. He plays with his knife and lets his past and future do the talking.

                He wets his lips, still taking stock of the man leaning casually against the wall. It’s been a long time since he felt him in his head too. For years it’s just been him and The Soldier. He sort of assumed James Buchanan Barnes, the original, had died. But here he is giving him a pleased once over. “I sure am glad to see I didn’t let myself go.” Bucky waits a second while he tries to come up with a response for that. “Oh come on, I know ya can talk! I’ve been here this whole time.” Bucky gives him another amused look.

                “Sorry. It’s been awhile.” He looks down at his feet. He doesn’t cross his ankles anymore. His feet just dangle off the table in heavy combat boots. Bucky pushes off the wall and sticks his hands in his pockets.

                “That’s okay. No need to be sheepish. We’re old friends you and I. I’ve known ya your whole life ya know?” Bucky bends at the waist so he can peer up at the down turned face of his future self. “Whatsa matter? I thought you’d be happy to see me?”

                “It’s not the best time.” He sighs. “I’m a little lost.”

                “So I see.” Bucky nods. He jerks his head towards The Winter Soldier. “You’re not sold on his plan?” The Winter Soldier looks up from his knife. He gives himself a dangerous look, warning him not to interfere. The Soldier thought he was convinced. He was certain of his next move. Now his ghost shows up to do what? Confuse him? No thanks.

                “I like his plan.” He says resolutely.

                “Then why am I here?” Bucky raises an expressive brow. That look seems so much more charming on him for some reason. Maybe it’s the hat. Or the lack of hundreds of murders on his hands.  

                “Because you’re pushy like that.” He retorts. Bucky grins happily.

                “That ain’t changed.”

                “Bullshit. I’m not pushy.” He defends with nothing to back it up. Bucky slaps his knee and laughs.

                “Says the guy who’s seriously considering dragging his whole family away from the world because of a _feeling_!”

                “It’s not a feeling! They’re in danger.” He snaps.

                “What danger?” Bucky cocks his head. “Put a name on it.”

                “Hydra! Hydra will come looking for them! They’ll take them and torture them and make them into him!” He points at The Winter Soldier. The Winter Soldier approves of that statement. That’s what he’s been telling him all along. He and The Soldier are one and the same on that front.

                “You know this is their plan?” Bucky still doesn’t look convinced.

                “Yes!”   

                “How do ya know?”

                “Because it makes sense! Because that’s what they do! Maybe they won’t try tomorrow but they will try!” He insists. “I can’t let that happen to them!”

                “You’re right ya can’t and ya won’t let it happen neither.”

                “Exactly! Because I’m going to make sure Hydra can never find them!” He practically yells.

                Bucky squints one eye and bobs his head back and forth. “You’re being a little optimistic with that don’tcha think?”

                “Why?” He asks, almost too irritated to even entertain debate.

                “Look.” Bucky rubs his chin. “Hydra found me at the bottom of a ravine in Austria during winter in 1944. They managed that without the technology we have today in less than the time it would have taken for me to freeze or bleed to death. You’re telling me you think you can keep Steve and those three kids hidden for the rest of their lives?” Bucky glances over at the scary assassin sitting on the floor. “Okay maybe _he_ can but that’s not _you_. I’m not sure that’s even a person. Ya really want your babies to grow up living in constant unrest with _him_ for a mother? That’d be just as bad as if Hydra found them and ya know it.”

                “They’d be safe.” The Winter Soldier growls, his voice rough from disuse.

                “They’d be as good as dead.” Bucky shoots back. “No friends, no fun, no home, no childhood. They’d eat, _try_ to sleep, and be on the move. How long do you think it’d take for them to hate you for makin'em livin that kind of life? A week?”

                “So what do you want then!?” He yells furiously. The holes in his plan are rather obvious when laid out for him to examine.

                Bucky gives a noncommittal shrug. “I just think you could handle this a little more sanely.”

                “How? What else could I do?”

                “What you were already doing.”

                “That’s not good enough. Look what almost happened to them the other day? What if they’d been the actual targets?” He argues.

                “You’re really not giving yourself enough credit here. They’re eight years old and they’re only now experiencing their first near death experience. With our life, I would have guessed that’d happen when they were a week old.Those kids are surrounded by people who save the world regularly. They have a small army of super people who would lay down their lives to defend them. You tryin to tell me there’s a better security option than that? Come on, think about it. They’re safer at home.”

                He grumbles and huffs trying to find a way to argue that The Hulk is not a good enough bodyguard for his children. “But what about school? What about going out? How I’m I supposed to trust anyone in their lives that I don’t know personally?”

                “Pretty sure that’s every parent’s dilemma.”

                He gives him a dirty look. “Most parents don’t have to worry about undercover Hydra agents. You didn’t answer my question.”

                “I don’t have all the answers but I know someone who always seems to.”

                “Somehow I doubt they’re still alive to chat up.” He sasses.

                Bucky flicks him in the forehead.

                “Ow. What?” He rubs that spot.

                “Steve you big dummy!”

                “Oh…” He shakes his head. Things feel kind of foggy all of a sudden. “Oh!” He turns around and looks at the sheet that’s draped over his mate.

                “Yeah, he’ll have an answer. Be good to him okay? You’re putting him through some serious shit right now.”

                “I…” He bites his lip. He certainly is.  Things are moving around him in a blur but it doesn’t bother him. "He betrayed me..."

                "Give him a break." Bucky says in the most serious tone he's taken so far. "He's doin his damned best to take care of you. You ain't exactly a walk in the park Barnes. You don't really blame him for this do you?"

                He sighs. “I was angry, scared. I over reacted. Fuck how do I even begin to make this up to him.”

                “Four.” Bucky nods certainly.

                “Four? Four what?”

                Bucky starts chuckling. “Steve’s pretty simple. Just love him as much as you can, keep being a family, show him you’re still in this parenting thing with him. Four is a good number. Before the war I was definitely thinking four.” Bucky turns to a shaking blur in front of him and then nothing at all.

                Bucky is on the ground with hands on him. There is a bite plate in his mouth. Is he being wiped? It’s not that kind of bite plate. Steve is there. Steve is holding him so he’s on his side. He hears ‘Seizing!’ and mumbling. Steve is yelling. Radnitzer’s head has been crushed. The blood is slowly creeping towards him between the tiles of the floor. He blacks out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It took me awhile to decide who Bucky's seizure induced hallucination was going to be. At first I thought Sarah Rogers, then Phillips, then I though 'Oh hey what if he hallucinated parts of himself!?' Because that would be cool. Bucky doesn't normally see his other selves outside of himself. The reason he's have a conversation with himself is because he's having a seizure this whole chapter. Next chapter will go into what was happening from the external perspective. Wee! More medical trauma warnings! 
> 
> So far those of you who have been with me since the start you are familiar with how for the 50th chapter I let you guys asks Bucky and Steve questions. Well guess what? I'm doing it again! After next chapter Steve, Bucky, and whoever else gets asked stuff will answer your questions. Note on things that can be asked: They can't answer things that they don't know! So don't ask like, "Steeb did you like that toy Binky bought you for Christmas?" Because Bucky hasn't given it to him yet. Sasha, Jamie, Ingrid, Charles, Peter, anybody is up for grabs. With the exception for Billy because his response would be limited. Also, don't ask for spoilers.
> 
> This is a missing scene: http://thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com/post/110500648404/missing-scene-roger-rogers
> 
>  
> 
> -The Trollop


	50. Chapter 50

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Medical trauma! This includes an explicitly described seizure.

                Steve drinks a water bottle while he watches shadows move on the sheet. The kids are worn out, they went to sleep on a pile of towels and bedding their mother left for them. Steve realizes that Bucky essentially made a nest for his mate and his babies to wait for him in. It’s got bedding, food, security, and a low hanging ceiling. Perfect for housing newborns and petrified families alike. Steve sighs. This is a very similar set-up to the nest Bucky made for the twins when they brought them home from the hospital. Towels, sheets, breast milk, and the bathtub. Bucky held them to him snuggly situated in their nesting cradle with a sheet pulled over them all the first night the twins came home. Steve wished there had been room for him in the tub. There really was but Bucky would have thrown a fit if he’d intruded. He slept on the bathroom floor instead. Bucky kept peeking his head out from under the sheet to check on Steve during the night.

.oOo.

                Angela carefully connects the artificial nerves together with a brittle paintbrush. The fibers inside the wire casing are thinner than the hairs of the brush. Even one misaligned strand could cause irreparable damage to The Winter Soldier’s nervous system. When she’s done the strands lie together in a cord so neat it looks like there was never a fissure there at all.

                “It’s time to turn micro reactor on.” She tells her colleague. Ira picks up the computer module box that plugs into The Weapon for making fine-tuned programming adjustments. It connects into the elbow of The Weapon with a needle placed into a tiny slot that takes some looking for even if you know it’s there. 

                “Do you want the system to link with him yet?”

                “No let’s just test The Weapon. We’ll interface once we’ve calibrated sensation.” Ira hooks the sensors in place on Bucky’s arm and forehead.

.oOo.

               The levels are set to the specifications they were at before The Weapon was removed. The procedure is done essentially. The computer remains plugged into The Weapon. All they have to do now is hit a key on the computer to reconnect Bucky’s central nervous system with the artificial second peripheral nervous system. The three scientists watch him closely as Ira clicks the key on the control.

.oOo.

                Steve’s attention is completely wrapped around the sound of their soft voices. It sounds like it’s almost over. The cloud of uncertainty that is to follow this is temporarily diminished by the impending moment when Steve will get to see his mate again. Maybe he can talk to him before Bucky throws him to the wind and bolts. Bucky loves him, he’s certain of that. Maybe if he pleads his case he can make Bucky stay and see how insane what he’s trying to do is. He already talked him down from running away with the children once before. If he could just appeal to Bucky’s former trust in him, maybe this could end up going right in the end. Bucky has always trusted him, always loved him too. Perhaps if he’s smart about it he can stop this disaster still. What choice does he have? He’s got to do it for himself and Bucky. And certainly for the kids. Steve will a hundred percent concede that there is a real and present threat to the safety of their children from evil unknown forces because of who they are. Does that mean he’s going to let Bucky react like a brainwashed assassin? Hell no.

                Something clangs on the other side of the sheet. Metal on metal colliding hard. It sounds like a struggle. The voices abruptly turn to shouts in three different languages. Something just went wrong. The kids wake up because of the noise. They stay close together, uncertain and now frightened. Steve jumps to his feet and rips the sheet away.

                In front of him in the large operating room is a metal slab where the love of his life sits making an ugly choking noise that devolves into screaming in pain. The Weapon convulses like a flag in the wind while the rest of Bucky clenches inward. His whole body shakes, his eyes roll back in his head, the sound he’s making is muffled by frothy saliva. The three scientists back away to avoid the metal limb flailing through the air like a mace. Bucky’s shakes until he falls to the ground curled in a ball surrounded by the surgical instruments he just knocked off a rolling table. Steve is so stunned by the horror of it he forgets that there is anything else in the room.

                His children’s calms are shattering apart behind him in the little make-shift den. Their crying is blaring and despondent. They are just as powerless as Steve is to stop this. They hold onto one another as their mother starts to turn blue. He’s not breathing, just shaking in the mid-way between mother and brain death. Steve’s reaction is late. He crosses the short distance to his mate in a state of panicked confusion. On the other end of his tunnel vision is Bucky’s seizing form.

                “He’s having a Seizure! Pin him down on his side!” Angela yells in Steve’s face. Steve doesn’t know how long she’s been yelling. Maybe she was trying to tell him this the whole time. She had to get close enough to share breath for Steve to notice her. Steve pushes her to the side so he can grab Bucky and hold him. Angela ducks under The Weapon, picks up a flat metal probe, and shoves it between Bucky’s teeth.

                Steve has Bucky in his arms but he’s still not breathing. He’s not smiling, or screaming, or showing signs of life whatsoever. The Weapon is painful to control. Bucky might break both their arms at this rate. Swiftly but gently, Steve lays Bucky down on his right side. He sits on Bucky’s hip so he can have one hand free to touch Bucky’s hair. Steve takes ragged breaths as it dawns on him what he’s watching. His mate isn’t breathing. He hasn’t had air in over a minute now. Steve doesn’t know when this will end. Bucky could die like this. Bucky might die like this. Bucky’s movements are starting to slow but not for a good reason. Steve’s heart races as realization hits him. Bucky is dying.

                Steve whines and runs his fingers through Bucky’s hair so it’s out of his eyes. Maybe it will be some small comfort to his mate. Some small thing that will make dying more dignified. How could anything be a worse death than this? His children are hiding their little brother’s eyes by protectively curling around him. They both have their eyes closed as tight as they can. Steve tries his best to make the hold he has on Bucky somehow tender. This might be the last time he gets to touch his living mate. This is the last time he’s ever going to be whole. Tears burst forth at the thought. They stream down his face dripping onto Bucky’s subdued arm. Words erupt out of his mouth as fast as they will come. Because if he can’t get it all out in time he might not make his case. “Oh God please don’t do this! Please! Please don’t take him like this! Not like this! You can’t have him! You can’t take him from me! Don’t you dare take him from me again! Bucky please stop it! Please stop, come back! Come back! Stop!” Steve hangs his head. His cries seem more and more in vain as the second tick by and Bucky does not breathe. “I love you so much. Please, I beg of you, don’t do this to me now.” Steve sobs. “Baby, please! Come on! You have to live!”

                “He’s not going to die Captain!” Angela bellows in his ear. Steve is still babbling unhelpfully while she searches amongst the spilled medical equipment for what she needs to make that statement true. Angela’s hands pat through the shiny metal pieces for something she can use. Where did her scalpel go?

                Behind them Radnitzer clutches the scalpel in his hand. He’s been waiting for this opportunity since he first learned he’d be overseeing the reattachment of The Weapon. Now that he can no longer speak through his broken face, it feels all the better to finally see his chance. He approaches as if he’s about to try and help Bucky. Angela sees the scalpel and feels relief only to realize a split second later that Radnitzer does not intend to give it to her. She barely has the chance to cry out before one of the rolling metal carts crashes into Radnitzer’s side.

                Ira is on him like an enraged lower primate. He screeches a battle cry as he uses a metal tray to smash Radnitzer’s skull. Angela doesn’t pay that any mind. She grabs the scalpel and plants her hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “Hold him as still as you can!” She shouts. Steve braces Bucky to the ground. In a half delirious state he’s apologizing to Bucky for being so rough. Angela proceeds. She finds the spot she needs two inches from his spine flush to the edge of The Weapon. She stabs the blade into that spot as hard as she can and forces it down deep. Blood wells up from around the invasive object. She digs as deep into the muscle as she can before she rips out the tool and jams two fingers into the bloody mess to make it deeper. She touches the chord of nerves that serves as the connection between The Weapon to Bucky’s brain and yells triumphantly. She pulls her fingers out and shoves the knife back in and cuts.

                There is a moment when no one in the room makes a noise. And then Bucky coughs the bite plate and the froth out of the way so he can breathe.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> HAHAHAHA! Your face after reading this! You knew this was coming. I hinted heavily that this procedure was going to have complications from the neural connection. What happened wasn't Angela's fault by the way. I love her as a character. She, like all of my original characters, has a rich back-story. I think Bucky mentioned that the highly skilled people Hydra had work on him weren't always really Hydra. Angela was one of these. She had her whole life stolen from her by people like Radnitzer. She could have cured spinal injuries and any other kind of peripheral nerve disorder but Hydra took advantage of her and made her something she wasn't supposed to be. Now she's a suicidal, catholic, Mexican, female genius imprisoned for life. I really, really like her. Also she totally just saved Bucky's life. So did Ira, that poor crazy tech junkie. Like really, he's addicted to technology. 
> 
> Okay, okay interviews. The interviews are posted here:http://thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com/post/110650446509/interviews-with-the-cast-of-the-winter-soldier
> 
> I didn't want to post them directly after that because I thought it would diminish the effects of this chapter's response. I'd love it if you read the interviews before you comment. Or comment before and after! I'd love that more! I love comments. I'm a comment junkie. I get a little surge of dopamine every time I see I've got a new one.


	51. Chapter 51

                In the panic no one noticed Roger Rogers run out the door to go get help. He found Barton and Natasha. They immediately called for backup. Practically the moment Bucky starts breathing again the entire emergency hospital staff floods into the room to assess Bucky’s condition.

                “No! You can’t have him!” Steve snarls at an EMT that wants to get Bucky up on a gurney and back to the ICU. The alpha is confused and still having a panic attack despite Bucky’s improvement.

                “Steve you have to let them help.” Natasha insists. She grips his shoulder, ready to try and pull him off if that’s what it takes to get her mentor help.

                Barton brushes by her and puts a hand on her hip. He leans over and whispers to her. “Leave him Nat, he’s not going to listen. The kids are scared. Come help with that.” He tips his head towards the three crying children. Natasha looks at them and then down to her mentor. She curses in Russian and concedes that Clint is right. She lets go of Steve and goes to tend to the kids.

                “Hey.” She says softly to the little ones. She squats down in front of them. After an uncertain pause she holds her arms out. The twins cling onto her immediately.

                “Tasha is he going to be alright?” Jamie weeps. Nat’s brow creases together just a pinch. She pulls them to her and nuzzles them both. Barton watches, not recognizing this affectionate woman comforting children. Barton assumed he’d be the one doing all the hugging.

                “Yes. Your mommy is the toughest person I know. He’s lived through this before.  It scares me to think about how many times he’s had induced seizures over the years while Hydra was programming him. This isn’t new. He’s going to recover and be back to his old self in no time.” She gives them a little squeeze and backs off so she can look at their faces.

                They still look worried but substantially better after hearing that from Natasha. If there is one person they trust to tell them the truth in situations like this, it’s her.

                “Coming through!” Bruce yells to the crowd. There are people cleaning up the dead body of Radnitzer, taking pictures of said dead body, disinfecting the floor, checking on the kids, interviewing Ira and Angela, and trying to get Steve to let go of Bucky in his way. Coulson came and talked to Bruce and Tony a day ago. Bruce now has a needle in his hand loaded with a sedative strong enough to work on a Super Solider. He and Tony just invented it for Bucky ‘incase this all goes south’. Bruce surveys the group of people not paying attention to the frumpy doctor with a needle and decides a healthy dose of recognition is in order. He clears his throat and concentrates to get the mix just right. His eyes and skin flush green. Then, as if he were fully his other self, he roars at a volume appropriate for conveying ‘get the hell out of my way’. Not surprisingly it works. “Thank you.” He says in his regular voice before making his way through the cleared path.

                Steve holds Bucky even tighter to his chest. “What are you going to do to him? Leave him alone!” He warns, not even really sure of what he’s saying except that he doesn’t want Bucky touched. “Don’t you dare Banner! He’s already been through enough.” Steve tries to scoot backwards with Bucky limp in his arms.

                “Don’t worry about it. This isn’t for him.” Bruce tells him calmly.

                The light jostling wakes Bucky unexpectedly. “Stevie?” Bucky mumbles.

                “Bucky!” Steve shouts. He’s so overjoyed to hear the sound of his mate’s voice he starts crying and hyperventilating all over again. Bucky’s obviously very confused and Steve’s reaction is not very calming. Bucky’s response to Steve hyperventilating is (and always has been) concern. The idea of finding his inhaler flutters through his rattled mind. His right hand feels for Steve’s face to try and see if _Steve_ is alright. Bucky can barely make sense of where Steve’s face is and yet he must do this. Steve holds Bucky’s hand against his cheek and kisses the palm over and over again. He rocks them both while he cries.

                Bruce casually sticks the needle into Steve’s back and pushes the plunger in. It takes about fifteen seconds for him to slip into unconsciousness. Bruce directs him so he lays down backwards instead of trapping Bucky in his lap. Bucky’s too out of it to argue with the EMT’s putting him on a gurney and checking him for signs of neurological damage. Alphonse is waiting in the wings to do a more thorough examination as soon as it’s determined that Bucky will survive the next five minutes without life support.

                Angela taps Dr. Banner on the shoulder. “Dr. Banner there is something you should know. The seizure was probably caused by damage to the connection to the right side of his motor cortex. He’s going to require brain surgery to fix it. I can perform the surgery with Dr. Weiss’s assistance. Sooner would be better.”

                “How soon is better?” Banner asks. Both Steve and Bucky are not capable of giving consent for the operation. Bucky is too incoherent and Steve is too emotionally compromised.

                “As soon as we can. It’s important we check for any physical damage we might have missed. I’d hate to be responsible for missing something again. They should have opened him up to check to begin with.”

                “Why didn’t it show up in the scans?” Banner takes his glasses off so he can massage the bridge of his nose.

                “Because the connection to the brain is made out of microfibers too thin to show up. I’m praying that it’s only a small detachment that’s caused the trouble. I don’t know where I would get the resources to make another.”

                “Tell Coulson what you need and he’ll find it.”

                “He’s not my biggest fan.”

                “He might as well be leading your fan club now that you’ve saved his idol’s mate.” Banner smiles to try and make his joke funny. It’s still not.

                “I’ll ask.” She smiles back. At least people are treating her like a doctor now and not a mad scientist.

                Banner taps Natasha on the shoulder. She swiftly turns to look at him. “You’re Bucky’s next in line to give medical consent for him. I need you to give consent to brain surgery.”

                Natasha takes a deep breath and nods. “Do what you have to.”

.oOo.

                Seventy five percent of the web of artificial nerves was disconnected. It took Angela all night to rearrange everything into place. She also pushed hard and fixed the nerve cord where she cut it earlier and successfully activated The Weapon. It’s now completely functional. Bruce had just enough sedative to keep Steve unconscious all night. After the operation, which Natasha observed in it’s entirety, Nat made one more request.

                Despite the protests of a few angry maintenance workers and a nurse, a queen sized bed was brought into a hospital room so that Bucky and Steve could wake up together.

.oOo.

                Steve emerges from his artificial sleep in a fog. He realizes he’s in a bed. The last thing he remembers is Bucky almost dying… He spasms awake and looks around for his mate. He doesn’t have to look far. Bucky is lying on his side to the left of him. He has his back turned to him. The right side of his head has been shaved. The evidence of what happened is pretty obvious. He has staples in his head in a line the same shape and size as a small horse shoe.

                “Bucky?” Steve whimpers. He puts a light hand on his shoulder and shakes him to see if he’ll stir.

                Steve's breath hitches when Bucky stretches like he’s waking up from a satisfying nap. Both of his wrists twist outward at the same time. Bucky grunts and turns over so he’s lying flat on his back with his hands on his chest. He rubs his left eyes with the middle finger of The Weapon to get some of the sleep out. “I was wondering when you were going to wake up.” Bucky mumbles.

                Steve’s mouth hangs agape in awe of what’s happening. Bucky smiles amusedly. He nudges Steve’s jaw shut with one knuckle. Steve swallows. “Oh Bucky.” Steve hides his face in the crook of his mate’s neck right against their bonding mark.

                “What happened?” Bucky rubs Steve’s enormous, tense shoulders.

                “You-!” Steve shakes his head and takes a deep inhale of his omega’s scent. “You were in surgery. Something went wrong. Bucky, you had a seizure. You stopped breathing for almost three minutes. I thought you were going to die today.”

                “Oh.” Bucky scratches Steve’s nape lazily.

                “Oh?” Steve props himself up on his elbows so he can look Bucky in the eye. “Oh?! Bucky I’ve never been so scared in my life. At least when you fell I only had a seconds notice before you were gone. I held you in my arms and couldn’t do anything to help you. Thank God for that scientist. She saved you.”

                “Don’t be so forgiving. She saved the crown jewel of her life’s work. Saving my life was just a fortunate side effect.” Bucky dismisses. Steve’s anxiety bounces off Bucky like water on a duck. Steve is still coming down from utter terror and Bucky’s more concerned with… Bucky touches the side of his head. “Son of a bitch! My hair!” He tries to sit up to go get a look at it but Steve won’t let him.

                “Screw your hair! You almost lost your life!”

                “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve had a seizure? I don’t. I assume it’s in my file someplace. The number is upwards of eighty. I honestly don’t think this is a huge deal.”

                “Don’t you dare play this off as a casual thing!” Steve scolds. “This is not a part of our lives anymore. I can’t do this regularly. I’ll lose it, Buck. Our kids saw the whole thing. I highly doubt they think this was normal.” Steve’s expression is openly hurt. He’s still beside himself with joy to have his mate alive and seemingly in good health though. He pillows his head on Bucky’s shoulder and hugs onto him. Bucky has been quietly biting his lip since Steve brought up the children.

                “Are they okay?”

                “I have no idea. I think they were keeping me sedated.” Steve answers. “I want to go find out where they are but I don’t want to leave you.”

                “I’ll go with you.” Bucky shifts as if to get up. Steve puts a hand on Bucky's shoulder.

                “I don’t want you to walk. You might fall.” 

                Bucky cocks an eyebrow. “And you might get punched in the nuts.”

                Steve sits up. His arms bar Bucky from moving on either side. Steve looks at him in the eye critically. “You can’t do this to me.”

                “What?” Bucky shakes his head and realizes that was a bad idea. It tugs his at his staples uncomfortably. Steve gently holds that side of his head, careful not to disturb the evidence of his mate’s recent brain surgery.

                “I have spent the last thirty hours agonizing over you. At first you were going to abandon me and run to the hills with our children and then you were dying. I have wept for you, I’ve defended you, I’ve made some realizations that don’t sit so well with me. I’m hurting here, Buck. I’m really,” He squeezes his eyes closed. “Really hurting.” He opens his eyes and leans his forehead against his mate’s. “Please don’t just start joking around and act like nothing happened. A lot of things happened and I haven’t quite digested it all yet. We gotta talk about what you’re planning to do with the kids. You can’t take them away from me Bucky, I won’t let you. Frankly I can’t let you take them anywhere period. That’s not what’s best for them.”

                Bucky stares back at him. His grey blue eyes look unseeing for a flash then suddenly Bucky bursts into laughter. Steve frowns deeply. “Bucky what did I just say?” He snaps. Bucky leans forward and presses a kiss to Steve’s lips. Steve keeps his frustrated expression. His lips are passive in this kiss but Bucky keeps coaxing him. He’s still not amused but Bucky insists so Steve kisses back. He’s not giving up on this just… taking a break for a second.

                They kiss sweetly for a while. Bucky rubs Steve’s back and Steve caresses Bucky’s jaw and neck. It’s reassuring and slow. Steve swallows down deep breaths of Bucky’s scent. That’s the most calming thing for him. His mate’s scent still has an undertone of surgery and distress. It’s fading though. He’s beginning to smell like Steve and his own specific pre-heat smell. Steve concentrates on that as hard as he can. He rests his face on Bucky’s shoulder, now far more sanguine. Bucky presses a final soft kiss on his forehead.

                “Ready to tell me what you were laughing about?” Steve asks with his jaw pressed against Bucky’s clavicle. Bucky chuckles.

                “You’re going to think I’m crazy. But I changed my mind about being crazy.” Bucky says with the tail end of laughter in his voice. It’s a little hysterical but under control. Not unlike Bucky himself.

                “What does that even mean, Buck?” Steve nuzzles against his skin to get more of that smell.

                “It means I’m not sure about anything. Even my own plans don’t sound smart to all of me. The Winter Soldier wants one thing but the rest of me either disagrees or doesn’t know. I guess that means the smartest action is inaction. At least until I’m sure I’m not going to hurt somebody when I do make my move.” Bucky grabs Steve firmly by the jaw so he can glare at him. “And what the hell do you mean 'leave you'? I was never gonna leave you. Now who’s saying crazy things, hmm?”

                “You’ve never been so angry with me before over anything. I thought, if you were really convinced I didn’t take care of them, you might leave me.” Steve admits.

                “Never even crossed my mind.” Says certainly. He's right in a way. It never did cross  _his_ mind.

                “Really?” Steve looks stunned and touched.

                “Nope.” Bucky returns Steve's earlier nuzzles. “Sorry to disappoint you Stevie, you’re stuck with me.”

                Steve decompresses on Bucky’s chest. “Because you’re-.”

                “Not going to start that again.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So in the past chapters Bucky has been electrocuted, had his arm removed, had a seizure, and now had brain surgery. We are done hurting Bucky now. Bucky has been good and hurt. Now he is a recovering Bucky. It's still not all sunshine and cotton candy though. The big climax has yet to come! 
> 
> But before that: Sex, a wedding, and more sex!


	52. Chapter 52

                Bucky finally consents to Steve pushing him in a wheel chair. They get the nurse to bring one and then locate their children. They find them in the waiting room with Natasha, Barton, the world’s most influential mutant rights activist and his terrorist fiancé.

                “Mommy!” The kids run to Bucky. Barton carries Billy over so Bucky can take the excited little one.

                “Hey Sweet Peas.” Bucky hugs them tight and kisses them all over their faces until he’s being handed his baby. Then he gives Billy the same treatment. The kids smile broadly and giggle at the kisses. “Don’t freak out about the chair, this is your daddy being over protective. I can walk just fine. Jamie gasps at the sight of the staples in his scalp.

                “Holy crap!” He shouts.

                “Jamie!” Steve scolds, giving him a disappointed father look. “Language!”

                Sasha leans over to her mother’s other side to see what made her brother swear. “Oхуеть!” She yelps.

                “I didn’t mean another language. And Sasha, that’s an even worse thing to say.” Steve chides.

                “I didn’t teach her that.” Natasha assures them. She’s not so prone to cursing anyway. It’s their mother’s bad habit. She probably picked it up from him. Bucky tries to look innocent but ends up looking silly. His kids laugh. Jamie scoots to his mother’s side and leans over the arm of the chair so he can hug onto him. Sasha does the same to his other side. 

                “You’re really okay? Charles said you’d wake up and be fine.” Jamie says with his face pressed against Bucky’s shoulder.

                “I’m great. Better than before actually. Charles said I’d be okay?” Bucky looks up and finds the psychic not paying attention.

                Charles sits with one leg crossed over the other next to his soon-to-be mate. They are both far more casually dressed than usual. They both wear jeans and T shirts. Charles is wearing a light cardigan that doesn’t match his clothes. He has his slim collar around his neck. Erik is practically glued to him. There isn’t any space between their sides from the seat to where Charles has his face against the alpha’s neck. Erik has one arm over the back of Charles’ chair and the other one on the omega’s thigh. Erik’s alpha pheromones scream ‘MINE’ into the air, just in case everyone in the vicinity somehow missed the message. Charles’ expression lifts when he realizes there are other things going on in the room besides the intoxicating cocktail of his mate’s scent. He rallies his efforts to concentrate and clears his throat.

                “Peter called me. He was concerned that you’d suffered brain damage. I’m rather adapt at detecting things like that, so I rushed over as fast as I could to come check. I went through your mind, I’m sorry I didn’t ask but your children and your friends had a dire need to know. You’re correct, you are in fine shape.” Charles shifts. He looks terrible. There’s a thin sheen of sweat on his brow. His leg that is not under Erik’s touch bounces anxiously. He keeps shifting his rear in seat as if there is no place he can sit comfortably. He worries his lip. He looks like he hasn’t slept well recently. Well he wouldn’t if he’s having this strong a pre-heat.

                “Um, it’s okay I think that’s an acceptable reason. Just don’t do it again.” Bucky eyes Charles uncertainly. The pre-heat pheromones are quite noxious. The kids and Clint don’t seem so bothered but the three alphas in the room look on edge. Natasha has some Vick’s Vapor Rub under her nose so she’s not responding to the scent so much as the cold, murderous look Erik keeps giving her. She’s technically in a relationship with Clint but she’s not bonded to an omega. That means she could, if she wished, take on an omega mate as well. Not many people do have polyamorous relationships anymore but that doesn’t keep Erik from being especially protective of Charles. Bucky can smell why. He’s never smelled another omega that had a scent quite like that. Bucky glances over at Steve. Steve finds the heat scents of all omegas besides his mate to be a little rancid. Not unlike over ripe fruit mixed with propane. But even he at least recognizes there is something different about Charles. Bucky looks back at his fellow omega. “Are you alright?” He raises an eyebrow.

                Charles laughs nervously. “I’m getting married tomorrow and my body knows it.” Charles runs his fingers through his sweat damp hair. “I should be home right now. I hope you don’t mind if we leave. I only came at all because Peter told me the children were upset.” Charles beseeches.

                “Go ahead.” Steve answers for them. Erik stands up instantly. Charles rises at a more polite pace. “We wouldn’t want you to be uncomfortable on our account.” Steve says congenially.

                “It’s fine.” Charles says with a wave of his hand. “I’m uncomfortable no matter what at this point. Oh say,” Charles snaps. “Would you like to attend our wedding tomorrow? I’m afraid the guests won’t be many but the food should be sublime.”

                “If I can get them to let me go home, sure.” Bucky shrugs. Steve sighs subtly. He’d clearly prefer they just rest at home. Bucky balances Billy in his lap and extends one hand for Steve to take. He does so right away gratefully.

                “Can we come too?” The kids ask. They look back and forth between Charles and Erik and their parents. Steve grimaces. He knows what these things are typically like when they’re traditional. He went to a traditional wedding once when he was young and has been forever scarred. Bucky tries not to grin. He squeezes Steve’s hand.

                “I think you should stay home, this isn’t a ‘kids’ kind of wedding.” Bucky tells them. The twins’ faces contort with confusion. They have no idea what that means.

                Charles chuckles and nods approvingly. “Probably wise.” He winks discretely. Steve’s already dreading this. Charles wets his lips, drawing 100% of Erik’s attention. “The event starts at nine o’clock pm at The American Museum of Natural History.”

                “That’s perfect for you two.” Bucky shakes his head, smiling. “Bet that cost a mint.”

                “Good thing I’ve robbed a few.” Erik says while petting his fiancé’s back. He’s eager for them to leave. Charles hooks his arm around Erik’s waist.

                “Yes, darling excellent. We’ll be on our way then.” Charles inclines his head, his pupils so large he looks drugged.

                “See you tomorrow.” Bucky says as Charles gives one more polite wave while dashing off. Bucky titters at the sight. The children look puzzled.

                “Mommy, why were they acting so funny?” Asks Sasha.

                “Umm…” Bucky looks up at Steve. Steve has once again clammed up about this topic. Bucky sighs. “It’s a heat thing, Sweet Pea. Couples act funny right before heat. Charles’ heat starts tomorrow. It was a big deal for him to come out and see you. You should feel special.” Bucky smiles. “Well, more so than usual.”

                “Oh.” Sasha seems to accept that. Bucky puts a hand on her head and messes up her hair.

                “Try not to think too hard about it.” He chuckles.

.oOo.

                The hospital releases Bucky after Dr. Banner explains that he lives on the floor below the Rogers’ in Stark Tower. He signs on to take medical responsibility and the hospital signs off on Bucky's release forms.They were just as sick of the drama of having Bucky as a patient as Bucky was with being one. He's finally released at six that night. The family celebrates by going home and cooking dinner together. Steve gets them started on making pizza. It’s the best night they’ve had in a week. No impending surgeries, no unexpected brain trauma, no nothing. Instead they get to introduce Roger Rogers to his new home. Tony was kind enough to furnish them with a dog bed and a special dish that dispenses the exact amount of water to maintain appropriate drool and wet nose levels. They set up his dog bed in the living room next to the couch so he can sit by them while they watch a movie and eat dinner. It takes all of five minutes before he’s up on the couch looking lovingly into Steve’s eyes from his new spot half draped in his lap. The kids think it’s hysterical. Bucky has to agree he’s a pretty funny dog.

.oOo.

                Bucky lightly traces his fingers over the row of staples in his head while he examines himself in the bathroom mirror. He hisses at just the sight of it. It’s not comfortable to wear a hat yet. Maybe a bandana or something? Bucky’s not sure. That’s the side he usually sleeps on too. Bucky groans. He feels more like Frankenstein’s monster than ever. He used to really like that movie too. He was fourteen when he went and saw it in theaters with Steve. They made out the whole time and had to go see it again. Bucky was a week away from his- fifth? Fifth heat- at the time. Bucky rubs the stubble on his chin and takes out his old fashioned razor to shave. He used to do it with a knife but it freaked Steve out too much so now he does it this way.

                Steve leans his shoulder against the doorway just as Bucky is finishing wiping the shaving cream away with a towel.

                “Hey.” Steve greets.

                “Hi.” Bucky pats on his aftershave and washes his hands again. The wintergreen smell from the aftershave mixes nicely with Bucky’s preheat scent. Now that he’s out of the hospital, more specifically out of a highly stressed state, his pheromone and hormone production is reaching an elevated state. His scent has changed dramatically in the last two hours alone. Bucky turns around and sits on the counter so he faces his mate.

                “You doing okay?” Steve is slightly concerned that Bucky’s body might continue to progress all the way into heat that night.

                “Fine. Kinda…” He shrugs his shoulders. “Tingly and horny as hell but otherwise fine. It’s just pre-heat. It’s not even that bad. Are the kids in bed?”

                “Yes.” Steve nods once. “They are comatose. They haven’t been rested in days. They’re curled up in Jamie’s room with Roger Rogers. Billy’s fast asleep in his crib.”

                “Good…” Bucky bobs his head gently while he thinks. “So crazy idea.” Bucky scratches behind his ear on the shaved side of his head. “I haven’t given you your real Christmas present yet.”

                “Uh huh?” Steve hasn’t quite gotten the picture yet.

                “Remember that thing we talked about that one time? About me topping?”

                Steve’s breath catches in his throat. He swallows and blinks rapidly, his pupils swelling. “Yes… does my Christmas present have something to do with this?”

                Bucky shoots him one of his smoldering, playful simpers. He pinches his lower lip between his white teeth in a way Steve finds all too alluring not to respond to. He shifts away from the wall and comes to stand in front of Bucky. “I think you’ve caught my drift.”

                “Yes I have.” Steve says as he cups his mate’s gorgeous face in his hands.

                “Go get on the bed Baby, we’ve only got all night.” Bucky purrs.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So guess what's gonna happen next chapter? XD Yes, sex with Bucky on top and use of multiple toys. We finally, FINALLY get to be properly introduced to "The Big Bastard". Aka Bucky's knotting vibrator which was custom made to replicate Steve's penis. This should be interesting for so many reasons. Then after that yup, Charles and Erik are finally getting married. The full perspective of that is going to be written in another fic so what you'll be getting is the version that Steve and Bucky personally participate in. This is... it's going to be something. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	53. Chapter 53

                “You’re going to do great.” Bucky says between placing sloppy kisses down Steve’s chest. Steve pushes his head back into his pillow and sucks in a breath. Bucky licks a stripe up the length of Steve’s penis.

                “Relax. I’m not going to push you into anything you can’t handle.”

                “You say that while you have that _thing_ on the nightstand.” Steve stutters out. On the nightstand rests Bucky’s vibrator. From the perspective of someone who does not frequently have sex with Steve, the thing seems impossible to fit.

                Bucky lets out a breathy laugh. “That’s not for you. You know I’m going to need something here too?” The whole room already smells like pre-heat and sex and they’ve barely gotten started. The way Bucky is bent over denies Steve a look at what the omega’s body is doing but judging by the scent alone, Steve would guess he’s self-lubricating like crazy. Lubrication for the fuck Steve should be giving him.

                A flash of guilt courses through Steve’s features. “Buck, if you want me to-.”

                “You’ll do no such thing.” Bucky cuts in. He kisses the thin skin of Steve’s inner thigh before leaning back and picking up a bottle of lube off the bedspread to coat his finger with. Bucky is sitting up on his knees with his legs parted. Slick is smeared everywhere underneath him. Steve estimates based on how much, Bucky will be in heat in two days tops. Seems like that shot did jack-shit after all. Not that he’s particularly surprised. Lots of medical treatments don’t work on them. Bucky catches Steve’s jaw in his relatively cleaner hand. For all his earlier bravado he looks temporarily uncertain. “But if you don’t want me to, then that’s okay too.”

                “I want you to.” Steve tells him. Steve swallows some extra saliva. The slick between Bucky’s legs is literally making him drool. He can’t help it.

                “Okay. You remember what to do right?” Bucky raises a teasing eyebrow.

                Steve smirks back at him. “I think so. If I forget I can always ask the master.”

                “You see, to me,” Bucky wets his lips. “That just sounds like you’re bragging about your dick.”

                “I thought I was bragging about my omega?” Steve quips.

                Bucky blushes. “Shut up.” He mumbles before ducking back down to suck and kiss around Steve’s groin. The laughter dies on Steve’s tongue when Bucky slurps on the head of his penis and begins massaging the ring of his anus. Steve may remember how to do this but he’s almost completely forgotten what it feels like. 

                He and Bucky just aren’t put together the same in this department. His body doesn’t initially want to open for even one finger. Eventually he will but not the way Bucky would. The cloacal muscle relaxes during erotic stimulation and self-lubricates for penetration. Bucky can fake the lube but Steve’s body is still way behind Bucky’s.

                The omega diligently sucks on his alpha’s hard cock. He spreads the extra lube from his fingers onto Steve’s shaft so he can stroke him and blow him at the same time. He’s distracting himself to keep from getting impatient. Bucky’s expects this to take forever so there isn’t any disappointment at least. Finally, Bucky is able to feel the first real sign of progress. Sensing he’s ready, he pushes one finger inside his alpha. Steve huffs out a grateful noise.

                “There you go.” Bucky hums. “Feels good don’t it?” He slowly starts moving his finger in and out just an inch. He angles his finger in about the direction of his mate’s prostate. It’s not in the same place as his is. Bucky has always found this part frustrating. Externally they both work about the same but on the inside alphas and omegas are totally different.

                “A little lower.” Steve directs while digging his heals into the bed spread.

                “Okay.” Bucky circles his finger lower until he nicks a spot that feels spongier than the rest of Steve’s tight walls.

                “Fuck!” Steve whines as quietly as he can. They do have to be more careful about noise while in their actual bedroom. Bucky bites his lip again to keep from grinning too triumphantly. He returns to sucking down Steve’s thick erection and hollowing his cheeks while at the same time circling his fingertip around the spot. Steve squirms on the bed for him. Bucky has to keep the hand of The Weapon firmly around Steve’s base so his knot has something to press against. Once he’s really got him going he’ll let go just to play with him. Bucky’s eyes smile at the thought. “You can,” Steve hums as Bucky sucks him. ”You!” Bucky pushes on his prostate. “Bucky!” The omega does both at the same time. “Another finger?” Steve manages to ask through gritted teeth while his mate plays him like an instrument.

               “What Baby?” Bucky rhythmically licks then kisses the underside of his mate’s cock in quick succession in a line from head to base. Steve clenches his eyes shut. His jaw opens and closes but all that comes out is breathy noises instead of words. Bucky gently nuzzles his alpha’s balls while he waits for Steve to answer once he’s done.

                Steve gently but firmly pushes Bucky’s head away. Bucky leans his cheek on Steve’s thigh and looks at him innocently. “God fucking dammit Buck, add another finger!” Steve finally manages to order once Bucky has paused.

                “Oh…” Bucky nods slowly. He nips the place where his cheek was resting. Steve jerks, the little twinge of pain just makes everything else feel more intensely better. “You mean you want more? Okay I can do that.” Bucky muses quietly to himself as if he really doesn’t intend to let Steve hear him being an insufferable tease. Bucky slowly removes his finger, re-slicks two of them, and then slowly replaces them inside Steve. Steve exhales and relaxes around the intrusion. It’s not so bad at all, Bucky probably over prepped him.

                Bucky resumes his routine until Steve’s certain he’s going to come and ruin everything before Bucky can get his cock inside him. “Buck, I’m too close. Got to back off.” Steve pets the side of Bucky’s head that still has long, soft hair on it. Bucky’s mouth pops off him with a perfect smacking noise. It fries something vital in Steve’s brain. Bucky chuckles at the look of shock on Steve’s face.

                “I love you, Baby.” Is all Bucky can think to say. He takes his fingers out of his mate and braces himself on either side of Steve’s body so he can lean down and kiss him adoringly. Steve sighs gratefully into the kiss. He puts a hand on the back of Bucky’s neck to hold him there. Their mouths almost part and then rejoin in uneven intervals. It’s very wet and passionate. Steve shifts his hand so he forces their foreheads together instead. “Don’t have to kiss me down there while you do that, you know?”  Steve says quietly. In his currently over sensitive state he’d rather Bucky just kiss him while he get’s opened up. Bucky nods and pulls Steve so he’s lying on his right side. Steve snuggles down so he can kiss his mate while Bucky reaches over his hip and continues to prep him with his two fingers.

                Bucky bends The Weapon and shoves a pillow between it and their heads so they have something soft to rest on. The Weapon’s great for many things, but making out on top of isn’t one of them. Another very strong wave of scent hits the alpha’s senses. His mouth waters, his heart rate increases, he gets harder. He reflexively pulls Bucky’s knees apart while still kisses Bucky. The omega unexpectedly yips between their mouths. Steve pulls his face back so he can see what the problem is. Bucky’s thighs are trembling. Slick from his unattended entrance is smeared clear down to his knees. There’s a wet spot on the bedspread. Bucky tries to pull Steve’s face back to his for a kiss but Steve won’t budge.

                “Bucky, come on. Don’t do that to yourself.” Steve pushes his thigh in-between Bucky’s so at least he has some kind of friction. Bucky huffs and refuses to do anything with the leg intruding on his plans. Bucky moves his fingers inside Steve more aggressively and turns his face into the pillow stubbornly. Steve grunts, a thin layer of sweat is forming all over his body. His hips shake in response to a few particularly good touches. Bucky peeks at him from the corner of his eye. Despite the slightly twisted state of Steve’s features from the strain of holding back his responses to pleasure, he still somehow manages to look absolutely taken with Bucky. That look of unadulterated love, longing, and intense caring is the same now as it always is when they’re in bed together. Bucky relents under its weight every time.

                “Shut up, Punk. I’m waiting until I’m in you first.” He explains.

                “You’ve got to be miserable. That doesn’t make me happy.” Steve argues.

                “Ever heard of anticipation?” Bucky retorts. He's still trying to maintain the control but Steve's worrying nonsense is ruining it. “You know it’s coming and you get off on the slow build of waiting for it. Makes finally getting it feel incredible. Or would you rather it be sudden and a surprise? Surprises can be nice too.” Steve realizes he’s about to experience one. Bucky pushes a third finger inside of him. Steve’s whole body spasms. He feels so stretched. He can’t remember the last time he felt this open. It’s only slightly uncomfortable. Bucky has done an excellent job of preparing him. He gulps and takes a few shaky breaths to compose himself while Bucky keeps his fingers moving inside him. Bucky watches his mate’s pleasure flushed expression, mesmerized. Slowly the omega expands his fingers inside Steve. The burn makes Steve let out a high pitched gasp. Bucky halts his movement and puts his fingers back together. He keeps up that movement and adds in shifting his fingers so he occasionally parts his fingers and pushes into Steve’s prostate at the same time. Steve muffles his sounds in Bucky’s neck and holds onto his shoulder, trying desperately not to start shouting out his pleasure for the whole tower to hear. 

                “You're doing so good, Stevie. Think you’re ready?” Bucky nuzzles into the side of Steve’s head.

                “Ugh yes!” Steve groans. He lets go of Bucky and flops dramatically onto the bed. Bucky removes his hand when Steve moves his hips. “Please already, that’s not nice.”

                Bucky sits up chuckling. His pearly white teeth are absolutely dazzling when he laughs like this.

                “You first though.” Steve insists while he pokes Bucky in the chest. Bucky’s face falls but then he sighs with defeat. He really was less than pleased with being left unattended like that. Any omega would be, so close to a heat.

                “Take this so you'll stay nice and ready for me.” Bucky grabs the anal plug off the night stand where it waited with the rest of the toys. He lubes it up with the bottled lube. Steve parts his legs to make it easy for Bucky to pop it inside of him. Kind of like a bookmark. Steve expects Bucky to take a few minutes for himself and the serum might ruin all their hard work if they don’t keep something in him.

                Bucky reaches over for his vibrator less certainly than he did for the plug. Steve’s never really seen him mess with the thing. He’s aware Bucky must use it when he’s gone for a while, though he can’t imagine when he would have time to use it when he is around. Nor why he’d have reason too. It’s pretty much just like his real penis and neither of them have any trouble getting the other to be intimate if they want it.

                The toy Bucky lubes up in his hand would represent the near impossible for regular humans.  It’s very long by penis standards and wide too. At least that’s Steve’s experience. There is only a certain amount of length and girth that makes sense for a male sex organ. Any larger than that and it just wouldn’t be functional. If Steve didn’t have the serum and somehow managed to have a penis this large, he would likely have erectile dysfunction. He probably wouldn’t be-able to get fully erect either because of the physiological demands of doing so. If he did he’d pass out. As he is, he can and does regularly. On the opposite end, without the right partner the thing would be made useless by its size as well. A female wouldn’t be-able to fit the full thing inside of her but a male omega can (and does). The cloaca is about four inches longer than the vagina because of the way the internal organs are placed differently due to the second set of reproductive organs. If Bucky was anything other than what he is, they would have been screwed. Well, the opposite actually.

                 “Here.” Bucky hands Steve a white wireless remote. Steve looks at it. Its egg shaped with a few buttons. There is a toggle switch with up and down directions and seven lights next to it. The bottom one is lit now. Then below that there are two buttons with ‘on’ and ‘off’ written on them. These are not the power button, that’s on the side of the remote. “Are you going to puzzle it out or your own or do you want a tutorial?” Bucky teases. He wipes sweat away from his eyes. Steve is salivating again. Or maybe he’s just doing it more.

                 “Um no, go ahead.” Steve replies. Bucky is gripping the vibrator tightly around the small ring it has for a handle. The ring is just large enough for Bucky to hold it with one or two fingers. Bucky clears his throat nervously. He’s never done this in front of Steve before. He shifts on his knees for a second before figuring he had better just part his legs and do this already before he ruins the bedspread. Bucky bends over facing Steve and braces his upper body with The Weapon. Bucky bites his lips and does not meet Steve’s eye as he positions the thing at his entrance. “Buck, don’t you want prep or-?”

                 The words get cut off by Bucky making a strangled moan as he pushes the vibrator inside himself. His body accepts it gratefully. The last inch makes Bucky strain and sweat but it disappears inside him in a few seconds too. In all, it took him less than thirty seconds to put the whole thing away inside himself.

                 Steve sits there on the bed in front of him with his jaw dropped. The twin of the fake cock inside the omega is hard and leaking against Steve’s abs. Bucky demurely looks up at him from under his lashes. He looks shamed and yet incredibly aroused. He forces a breathy laugh. “What did I say about anticipation?” And heat, Steve thinks. That’s something Bucky can only do when he is on the very cusp of heat. “Would you hit the ‘on’ button, please?” Bucky’s hand shakes as it points to the right button. Steve pushes it uncertainly. Something quietly shifts inside Bucky that has him making a distressed face like he’s about to sneeze… or orgasm. A few tears prickle up around his eyes. Steve has absolutely no idea what to do except for clutch the remote and observe the show. He gives Bucky a minute to get ahold of himself.

                 “What did that do?” Steve finally asks once Bucky is a little more with it. Bucky slowly starts carefully moving to look for where the lube went to.

                 “Oh…” Bucky blushes. “Um… that was the knot function.” He admits.

                 “You’re-.” Steve dick leaks even more pre-come. If he had any pressure around his base at all right now, he would come all over himself. “You’re knotted right now?”

                 “Yeah...” Bucky whines, because that is the most embarrassing wonderful thing about his vibrator. If he could keep it together enough, he could just walk around like this with what feels like his mate’s knot inside him and no one would know. He could tell Steve and it’d just be their secret.  It feels so good. It’d feel better even if it was actually Steve but it’s still amazing. He wishes he could somehow get fucked by his mate and fuck him at the same time. The closest he can get to that is how he is right now. He’s turned scarlet from the thought. All that’s missing now is his collar and he’d just die of shame. Bucky shakes his head to manually clear his thoughts. Collars are for submission and he’s not doing that tonight. But he’s got to find some slick for his cock first. He’s hindered by the huge object inside him which greatly limits where he can look.

                 While Bucky silently searches and thinks, a new run of slick drips down his thighs. Steve’s eyes sink down the omega’s skin with it. He hungrily watches it slowly blend in with the mess that’s already there. His has to swallow the swamp forming in his mouth. Steve can’t wait until Bucky’s out of his mind with lust from heat. He’ll lazily lay back and let Steve play with him however he likes, just as long as all of Steve’s attention is on him. How could it be anywhere else? He’d lick up all of that sweet honey coming out of his omega’s pretty little hole and then fuck him until he gushes out more. “Dammit, I can’t find it.” Bucky grumbles.

                “What?” Steve asks. He swallows again.

                “The bottle of lube.” Bucky pouts.

                “Bucky you’re literally dripping. Just use some of yours.”

                They both look at each other for a pause. Both uncertain of what’s going through the other’s head but knowing it’s incredibly dirty. “Holy hell, Stevie.” Bucky finally says. “Where’d you get that from, a skin flick?” Because his fantasy’s about public masturbation and three ways with clones are all so lily white, he thinks sarcastically.

                “Just seems practical.”

                He’s not wrong, Bucky rationalizes.

                Bucky trails his fingers through the slick on his thighs and finds that he’s made plenty. He takes ahold of his erection and transfers as much as he can. He does this again and again until he’s just as lubricated as he would have been with the bottled stuff. Except for this is him being used _on_ him. Something about the combination of these two systems makes it feel very obscene.

                Steve pulls the plug out of himself. He did get slightly tighter in the time Bucky took to get ready but it won’t be enough to make a big difference. What comes next is all instinctual. Bucky grips Steve’s base tightly in one hand. They don’t fit together as nicely as they once did. That doesn’t bother them so much though. They both have figured out what this really was by now. Bucky could go into heat at any time. If Bucky does that and they have sex in all likelihood he will get pregnant.

                “One second, Baby. Just one more thing.” Bucky pulls out of Steve. Steve groans in distress. He was so close. Bucky pulls on the funny little gel ring that acts like a knot. Steve doesn’t notice it so much at first when Bucky’s back inside him. It slowly increases in size though, then he notices.  

                “Oh God! What is that?” Steve pants, he pushes his head back into the pillow and clenches his eyes shut. Bucky can read on his face that it feels good.

                “Your Christmas present.” Bucky has to stop thrusting or else the ring will come off. This would be when they’d lock. Steve’s face turns slightly more peaceful.

                “So this is what you feel like?” Steve asks between deep breaths and swallowing. The best efforts of the vibrator inside Bucky have won out over the tight seal of his muscle around the base. Slick has leaked down between his legs again. Steve won’t admit it but the sex is only 80% of why he feels so good right now. What’s driving him crazy with pleasure is the smell coming off of Bucky. Bucky is enjoying this so much his pheromones alone are sending Steve into a euphoric state. The hand around his base constricts tighter. Bucky is trying to make Steve come and all he has to do is orgasm himself to do it.

                “Nah, I usually get off by now. I’ve got more sweet spots in better places than you do.” Bucky nuzzles Steve’s neck. He lethargically moves their hips together while trapping Steve’s cock between their bodies. The slight movement and the pressure is going to send Steve over the edge at any time. The only problem is, he really needs Bucky to come first. Steve grabs the remote to Bucky’s vibrator and turns it up to the seventh light.

                Bucky’s whole body quakes like he’s been electrocuted. He grips onto Steve automatically. Bucky can’t control the volume of the wanton scream that accompanies his orgasm. Steve turns the setting down to the second light afterward. Steve immediately presses his nose into the bonding glands on Bucky’s neck. That smell sends him into pure ecstasy. Bucky, in shock, is still gripping him. Steve strokes himself twice and then comes between them. He rides it out by huffing up Bucky’s scent. Bucky whimpers in his arms, vibrator still stimulating him into making more delicious smells. Steve holds him close and switches off the vibrator. He picks up Bucky’s chin and looks him in the eye.

                “Buck, talk to me. I gotta know if you’re in heat yet.” He certainly smells like it. Steve certainly hopes so. His throat feels funny. Actually his whole brain feels funny. For instance, throats and brains have nothing to do with each other.

                It takes Bucky a second but then he comes to. He smacks Steve upside the head. “Asshole! I coulda woke up the kids!” He complains. It’s only half-hearted. He pulls out of Steve and catches the ring before it gets lost. Bucky snatches back the remote and presses the off button. Steve puts up no resistance. His pupils are the size of marbles. Bucky shakes his head at his high-as-balls mate as he puts some distance between them. He needs some space to comfortably get the vibrator out. He eases it out of himself slower than he put it in. A small river of slick flows after it.

                Steve groans before he lunges for his mate, tackling him around the waste onto the bed. Bucky starts giggling as Steve licks at his thighs. It tickles and it’s funny.

                “What are you doing?” Bucky covers his eyes.

                “You don’t understand how good this is!” Steve defends. His voice has turned rumbly again. That draws Bucky’s attention.

                “Uh oh… Baby, look at me for a second.” Steve looks up at him. His eyes, which should be returning back to normal about now, are still huge. Bucky scents him. “Oh shit.” He sighs. “Stevie…” Bucky covers his face. Steve busies himself with touching his mate wherever he can and kissing at Bucky’s bond bite.

                “Hum?” Steve asks.

                “Please don’t be in rut.” Bucky sighs.

                “I’m not in rut you’re in rut.” Steve argues in a deep gravelly voice.

                “Your ass had better be lucid by morning or I’m leaving you tied to the bed.”

                Bucky’s pretty sure he hears Steve rumble something about not leaving. He gets up to go get some anti-rut pills from the cabinet because he’s optimistic not stupid.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That chapter took forever to think of and no time at all to write. So much information. Really just loads. So I don't know if I'll get into this but anti-rut medication is kind of like anti-heartburn medication in this universe. Everyone has some in their cabinet. Rut, unlike heat, comes on suddenly in response to an omega in heat or because of the upcoming cycle of a mated partner. The later takes a long time to become a thing though. Usually it's the scent that sets it off. Naturally this can be a problem in everyday life. Symptoms of rut include: Protective behavior, extraordinary sex drive, enhanced blood flow to the genitals, extra testosterone, the rumble voice, and sensory sensitivity. These things can all be dampened with a pill. However it won't go away if the trigger persists. Bucky is having some strange times hormonally because of the shot they gave him to postpone his heat. Steve is right about him going into heat at any time. Bucky just doesn't feel it. Poor baby's going to get hit by it like a ton of bricks. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	54. Chapter 54

                Bucky wakes up at 05:00 hours to Steve grinding his erect cock into his backside. Bucky thinks about getting him to stop but Steve is still asleep.  Bucky wouldn’t normally entertain the idea of letting Steve use him as a scratching post but this morning Bucky discovers it feels good. There’s a deep seeded achiness inside him that the rhythmic pressure against his rear is helping. The omega lies in bed letting Steve rub off on him while he gets a few minutes to himself to think.

                His mental plate is rather full this morning. Hydra’s probably plotting to steal his children and he has no offensive strategy. His only plan at all is ‘come what may, Steve will do it with me’. It’s all he’s got since he really doesn’t have a clue what’s coming next. Except maybe Steve… Ha. Steve keeps making pleased little sighing sounds right in his ear. It tickles. 

                Why did Bucky promise that pushy psychic he’d go to his wedding tonight? It’s a rhetorical question. He knows why, he just wishes he didn’t have to. He’s got a million reason to stay home. Steve may or may not be up for it, who knows. Really, Bucky should be home with his kids. He’s going to go into heat this week and then he won’t see them. He should stay home and make sure they’re okay after all the shit they just went through. He’d like to spend the night with Sasha, Jamie, and his baby. Baby… Oh hell, that is the question isn’t it? Maybe it’s not a question anymore but the decision is still standing on shaky ground.

                Part of what the hold-up is, is this damn media thing. That’s why he really needs to talk to Xavier and he knows neither of them will be feeling much like talking to each other in the coming week. Even more pressingly, he needs to talk to Steve about it. He needs to talk to him about all of this. So far they’ve just been relishing that they’re both alive and well and still madly in love with each other. The unspoken plan was to let the dust settle first. The dust is about as settled as it gets, Bucky supposes.

               As far as family planning goes, they’ve got to talk about it today or else it’s going to happen whether they’ve talked or not. Bucky would really like to be able to say at least one of their children was planned. He’s not having five and he probably couldn’t put off getting pregnant until next heat even if he tried. He and Steve would be relying solely on condoms to try and avoid a pregnancy. Despite what he tried to tell Steve, Bucky knows for a fact that doesn’t work so well during heat. They’ve had more than one experience where he’s been two seconds from coming around Steve’s knot when he realized they forgot something. Luckily he’d been on suppressants. They’d been lulled into a false sense of security by that situation. The next heat they were far less diligent with their condom use. That is why they have Billy. Bucky snickers to himself. There’s a story he won’t ever be sharing with the kids.  

                Steve whines in his ear. He doesn’t have enough pressure on his knot to get off it seems. Bucky smiles.

                “Hmm?” Bucky reaches over his shoulder to pet Steve’s head. Steve wakes abruptly.

                “Huh?” He nuzzles into the back of Bucky’s neck. He’s very horny and very confused. It’s a charming combination on Steve.

                “Good morning, Stevie.” Bucky rolls over so he’s facing his mate. Steve tries to rub some of the blurriness out of his vision.

                “Morning?” Steve looks around. It’s still dark out.

                “It’s early, Baby.” Bucky wets his lips and nuzzles into his mate’s neck. Steve groans appreciatively. Bucky scents him and gets a good taste of how aroused his poor mate is. Bucky can’t remember a time when he himself was so level headed and Steve was this badly affected by rut-brain. They’ve always gone into that mindset together. “I’m gonna go get you some pills so you can talk to me.” Bucky tries to get up but Steve holds him close.

                “No. Stay.” Steve growls possessively.

                “Don’t make me kick your ass.” Bucky pecks Steve on the cheek then gets up despite Steve trying to hold onto him and rumbling in protest. “I said no.” Bucky scolds. Steve watches him intently as he goes into the bathroom. Bucky comes back a second later with the white brand name bottle and a glass of water. He holds out his hand with two pills. “Come on. Take them…”

                 Steve takes the pills from Bucky. “Why are you so-.” Steve swallows the medication. Bucky gives him the glass of water to take a drink from. Steve downs the whole glass. “Why are you so together?” Steve can’t think of the word for it. Bucky shrugs and climbs back into bed with him. It’s warm and their bed smells like Steve’s rut. Bucky cuddles up in it like he’s going to take a bath in that scent. He might later.

                 “I don’t know. Fucking shot probably.” Bucky presses his forehead under Steve’s jaw. Steve wraps his arms around him to keep him close. Bucky doesn’t mind. He wasn’t going anywhere anyway. Steve’s erection is still straining between them. Steve isn’t demanding anything be done about it. He just serenely holds his omega and makes a contented purring noise when he exhales. Bucky doesn’t feel quite so comfortable. A very primal part of Bucky’s brain tells him not to let an opportunity pass. “Want me to suck you off before we talk?” Bucky offers before he’s really thought it out.

                 The meds are starting to kick in. Steve looks slightly perplexed by Bucky’s offer. “If you want to.” He rumbles. Bucky nods eagerly and ducks down to get to work.

.oOo.

                 The omega very thoroughly licks up every stray drop of his alpha’s seed. Most of it spilled down his throat but he accidentally spit up a bit at the last. Bucky wipes some sweat from his brow before curling up on Steve’s side. Steve kisses him as soon as he’s within kissing distance.

                 In the three minutes it took for Bucky to get Steve to come the medicine has taken full effect. It’d take longer but Steve burns through medicine fast. Steve is at least thinking clearly even though some of the other symptoms persist. “You didn’t have to do that.” Steve nibbles on his mate’s earlobe.

                 “I wanted to.” Bucky lets out an airy moan.

                 “I thought you wanted to talk?” Steve kisses lower on Bucky’s neck to the scars left by his teeth marks. The glands beneath Bucky’s bonding mark are swollen. All of his glands are a little swollen but especially these. They’re sensitive to the touch. It’s the kind of tenderness that only hurts for a second before it gives way to luscious pleasure. Bucky inhales sharply when Steve kisses him there. Bucky realizes what Steve just said and composes himself.

                 “I do want to talk. Give it a rest for a second wouldya?” Bucky pulls his head back. Steve props his head up with his bent arm.

                 “I’m listening.”

                 “Okay…” Bucky huffs. “Dammit why is this so hard to just say!? I had it all right in my head two seconds ago and then you started touching me and now I don’t know!”

                 “I believe you were the one who gave me the blow job.” Steve scratches the side of his head. Bucky gives him an annoyed scowl. Steve snickers. “I’m not complaining.”

                 “You’re not making this easy on me.” Bucky complains.

                 “Just tell me.” Steve says calmly with a small smile gracing his gorgeous features.

                 Bucky squirms. He catches his mate by surprise when he pulls Steve in for a sloppy kiss before letting him go and just holding his face. “I want to have another baby.”

                 Steve stares at him in utter wonder. “What?” He asks gently. He’s expecting a big ‘But’ any second now.

                 “I- I’ve thought about it pretty extensively and I think it’s the right thing to do.” Bucky says as resolutely as he can. Truthfully, he’s still trying to convince himself. Steve’s reaction is swaying him already.

                 “But Buck, it’s kind of a weird time.” Steve still looks very, very happy even if he’s being cautious.

                 “I know.” Bucky lowers his eye level to Steve’s chest. “It’s just…” Bucky sighs. “Is there ever such a thing as a good time for us? We never know what tomorrow is gonna bring. After all that shit we just went through I think it’s the right time to do something for our family. I don’t know why I want this so bad just that I do. I want this for you and me and the kids. You’re right it’s the wrong time but maybe we could try and make it the right time. You know?” He looks up at Steve hopefully.

                 All the doubt Bucky had about this being a bad idea disappears when he sees the overwhelmed, joyous expression on his mate’s face. “I think I do.” Steve pulls his mate flush to him so that he can tuck his head under his chin. Steve squeezes him before letting him go and looks him in the eye.

                 “Really!?” He asks ecstatically like he doesn’t quite believe something so good could be happening to him now.

                 “Yeah!” Bucky laughs.

                 Steve yells with excitement and nuzzles his mate affectionately. “Bucky!”

                 “Come here you big dope!”

                 Somehow they wind up grappling in their bed in a surprisingly non-sexual way. Once they’re exhausted and giggling like idiots they lie on the bed at weird diagonals to each other with the sheets pushed away. Both of them are panting and grinning so wide it hurts.  Steve sits up slowly and pins his mate’s wrists to the bed.

                 “So how do we do this?” Steve asks, looking eager. He’s excited for the sex but even more excited for the meaning of it.

                 “Well I figure by the time we get back from the wedding I’ll be feeling my heat pretty good. I think my collar might be in order.” Bucky blushes and averts his eyes. Steve kisses him.

                 “It’s a pretty sure thing with your collar involved.” Steve smirks. Bucky knees him in the side playfully.

                 “Shut up. It’s a pretty sure thing anyway.”

                 “You don’t know that.” Steve kisses lower on his mate’s chest.

                 “Baby I got pregnant while taking birth control made for zoo animals. We’re pretty fucking fertile.” Because of Bucky’s supped up metabolism he’s been prescribed birth control made for large animals. He takes a pill form of the stuff they give to giraffes.

                 “True.” Steve licks along his sternum then ducks over to suck on Bucky’s right nipple.

                 “Oh shit! Fuck! Oh!” Bucky squirms under the attention. Steve backs off and licks his lips.

                 “Those are sensitive, you’re raining out your drawers, you have your heat scent, you feel a little warm even. When’s your heat you pesky omega?” Steve is about to give the other nipple the same attention but Bucky yelps and breaks his hold on him.

                 “Not yet.” Bucky pants. Sweat is starting to bead on his forehead. "Gotta make sure the kids are okay. Gotta… not yet.” Bucky gets off the bed. Steve looks a little put out. Bucky rolls his eyes and darts over to kiss him firmly with plenty of welcome tongue. Bucky’s heat scent has Steve drooling. When Bucky parts their lips just enough to breathe a thin trail of saliva remains between them. The more he gives into Steve’s mouth’s demands the more Bucky finds himself being pulled into Steve’s lap. Bucky finally pulls away and leans back.

                 “Why not?” Steve begs impatiently.

                 “I wanna feel my heat first.” Bucky rests his hands on Steve’s shoulders and looks him in the eyes. “It’ll be better for me that way.”

                 “Isn’t it always good?” Steve’s brow creases lightly.

                 “It’s always good but it’s _earth shattering_ during heat.” Bucky licks his lips. “I want that to be how it happens.” Bucky pleads. He uses his doe eyes on Steve and the battle is lost. Steve throws his head back and groans, relenting.

                 “Okay fine. Then let’s get some breakfast in you instead.” Steve hikes Bucky up into his arms.

                 “Hey!”

                 “Don’t argue! I’ve got to use at least one of my instincts. Feeding you and our children is going to have to do.”

 


	55. Chapter 55

             The kids eagerly come running into the kitchen to find what the source of the delicious smell is. Steve made apple cobbler pancakes that morning because the aroma complements Bucky’s heat scent perfectly. The kids just smell the apple cobbler pancakes but Steve gets the full bouquet.

              “Good morning Sweet Peas.” Bucky greets from where he sits on a bar stool next to the island counter. He looks radiant with Billy snuggled up in a blanket in his arms. Billy was breast fed this morning for what Bucky plans to be the absolute last time.

              “Hi Mommy!” Sasha runs over and hugs him. Jamie does the same thing but accidentally face plants into Bucky’s chest.

              “Oof!” Bucky hisses, that was extremely tender. 

              “Sorry! Did I hurt you?” Jamie asks, horrified that he might have damaged his freshly recovered mother.

              “No, just a little sensitive Honey. I’m fine.” Bucky kisses the top of Jamie’s head. Jamie gives him a wary once over.

              “Are you okay?” He detects that something is up, he just doesn’t know what. Bucky sighs, they’ve got to talk about this sometime. Steve taps him on the shoulder.

              “Huh?” Bucky looks at him. A lock of hair falls in his face. Steve pushes it behind his ear for him with a sweet smile on his face. Steve gestures down at Billy with his eyes. Bucky looks down. Billy is completely dead asleep. Young children tend to be put to sleep by omega heat pheromones. “Oops. Sorry Buddy.” Bucky wets his lips and rocks the toddler in his arms.

               “What’s going on?” Sasha jumps up and down anxiously, a big scowl on her face. Bucky can’t blame her, she must feel so powerless these days. Things keep happening and she can’t do anything about it. It’d drive anybody crazy but especially a young alpha.

               “Sorry. It’s just um…” Bucky subtly elbows Steve. He’s not letting him pass the buck this time. Steve looks at Bucky warily. He doesn’t know how he’s supposed to say this without sounding awkward.

               “Mommy’s heat starts really soon.” Steve clears his throat afterward. Just saying the word heat is putting some rumble back in his tone. He needs to take another round of medicine in the next thirty minutes.

               The children visibly droop. “So does that mean you’re going away for the week?” Sasha asks. All her earlier joy over the tasty breakfast has wilted away. Bucky’s heart clenches.

               “Sweet Pea I-!” Am going to have to go away for the week, yes… He doesn’t want to say it.

               “It’s okay!” Steve bursts. Captain America to the rescue. He kneels down on the floor so he’s on their level. “Mommy has to go away during his heat but guess what?” He doesn’t give them time to guess. “We’re going to spend all of today, from now until you go to sleep, doing whatever it is that you want to do. Anything. I mean it.”

               “Anything?” Sasha’s eyes get bigger. Rarely are they given this option. There is a reason for that. In the past the kids have come up with creative ways to punish their parents for not being there. Steve has no idea what this is going to include this time but he knows, whatever it is, it will be humiliating and tons of fun.

.oOo.

                Bucky sits on the ground with his back leaned on the couch. He watches the TV in utter revulsion at his children’s choice of programming. Steve eats his fifth serving of pancakes with a pillow in his lap and blush on his cheeks. The kids wanted to watch a movie about heat while they ate breakfast. Steve was about to say ‘no’ and blow the whole bargain when JARVIS helpfully suggested they watch ‘Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom: Love in The Serengeti’ because it is rated G. That rat bastard.

                They have spent the past hour of this two and a half hour long documentary watching a thorough explanation of mating habits of African wildlife. This is the director’s cut so they haven’t skimped on the animal sex. Currently a lioness is getting impregnated by her mate. She dispassionately stares into the distance with her tail pushed to the side while her mate jackhammers away behind her.

                Roger Rogers watches this closely and occasionally woofs quietly at something that looks dog-like. The lions qualify as that apparently. Billy is in his bassinette by the couch, still sound asleep. Sasha and Jamie are very interested by their choice of programming. They keep asking for things to be explained to them although the narration keeps them from asking about most of it. Notable questions so far include:

                “Is he going to buy her flowers first?”-Sasha while watching baboons sniff butts.

                “I thought he’s supposed to buy her a nice dinner?”-Jamie while watching Giraffes hump.

                “What’s oral sex? Oh! Never mind.”-Sasha out of the blue, having nothing to do with the film.

                Steve has been unable to answer due to massive amounts of pancakes in his mouth at all times. Bucky is being kept from retreating by Sasha’s second demand. She insisted that Bucky let her do his hair. Right now she is using Natasha’s curling iron to curl the remaining half of his hair. In addition to being forced to watch animal porn, he’s also being forced to remain perfectly still. Sasha runs her fingers through the stiff curls. She put too much gel in it.

                “Honey don’t set the curling iron on the carpet.” Steve reminds her. She sets it on the plate he put there for her instead.

                “I know Daddy.” She huffs.

                “I don’t get it.” Jamie says as he slowly shakes his head, not taking his eyes off the screen.

                “What?” Sasha asks. She sprays hairspray on her mother for the fourth time. Bucky coughs.

                “A little warning please.” Bucky wheezes.

                “Why do things have sex? They don’t look like they’re having any fun.” Jamie holds his hand out and makes gestures as the bored looking lions.

                “I was wondering that too.” Sasha agrees, nodding her head. She pulls her mother’s hair up into a ponytail on the top of his head. He looks vaguely like a feather-duster going to prom.

                “It’s um… It’s fun. I guess not for lions but for people it’s fun.” Bucky explains. He nods his head to get a stray, frizzy curl out of his face.

                “Is that why you and Daddy do it so much?” Jamie asks, leaning his cheek in the palm of his hand with his elbow propped on the arm rest. Bucky is fairly certain lion cubs do not ask their parents these questions. Bucky looks over his shoulder at Steve. Steve chews his pancakes slowly while staring back at him. Steve finally swallows his food after a few long moments of awkward silence. Steve sets his plate on the end table next to him.

                “Clearly you guys have a lot of questions and that’s fine, you can always ask them. But this is not exactly the most comfortable topic for me and Mommy. You will realize why one day. Hopefully. So bear with me.” Steve scratches his forehead. “Sex is a pretty complicated thing you do when you’re an adult. You can do it with pretty much anybody but just because you can doesn’t mean you should. Sex is something you should try to save for the people you really love in a romantic way. Like I love Mommy, in that kind of way. It’s not a very complicated thing to do but there are a lot of feelings involved. The best kind of sex is the sex you have with somebody you have strong feelings for already. Otherwise it’s just a physical act. Like,” Steve points at the screen. The lions have moved on to other stuff now but the message is still understood. “It’s like the lions. Those lions were just preforming an act to make a baby. They looked really bored because that’s all it was to them. If you pick the right person to do it with it’s more than just an act. It feels really good.” Steve pauses and takes a deep breath. “This isn’t something you need to think about right now, you’ve still got a more than a few years before you should start picking out who you might like as a partner!” He says all in one breath. Bucky chuckles thinking about his personal experience with that. “So I guess until then the thing you’ve got to realize is, it’s better with love involved.”

                “Because when you’re really in love with the person you’re doing with, it’s just about one of the best things you can feel.” Bucky adds while smiling at his mate. Jamie and Sasha look back and forth between their parents.

                “Okay.” Jamie nods. That was good enough for him.

                “I’m tired of this dumb movie. Can we go shoot now?” Sasha asks.

                “Yeah!” Jamie perks up.

                “Oh please yes!” Bucky gets up then wavers for a brief moment. His expression is distant. “One second. Bathroom.” Steve scents the air and knows instantly what this is about.

                The kids shrug. “Meet you down at the range?” Sasha calls after her quickly retreating mother.

                “No shooting until I get there!” Bucky insists before he closes the door to his bedroom. Steve looks down at his kids.

                “Go ahead, we’ll meet you. I’m going to get some stuff for your brother.” He points at them both while looking them in the eye in turn. “No shooting.”

                “We promise.” They run off together. They won’t shoot. Bucky and Steve really don’t need to remind them all of the time but do because it’s a good habit. Those two were raised with gun safety. They are extremely respectful of all forms of weapons and know not to mess with them unless Steve, or more commonly, Bucky is around.

                Steve follows his mate back to the bathroom attached to their bedroom. Sure enough Bucky is washing the slick from between his legs with a washcloth.

                “Shit!” Bucky hisses. The more he touches the area the worse it gets. Steve whimpers in the doorway. Bucky looks up at him. “Oh stop it! You already had breakfast.” Some of Bucky’s hair falls in his face. Bucky tries to blow it out of the way but it stays put. Bucky slaps the washcloth down on the counter and takes the scrunchy out of his hair. He attempts to comb it through with his fingers but it just makes the mess worse.

                 Steve looks between his mate’s thighs and his goofy hair. He snorts with laughter then turns around to relieve some of the temptation.

                 “What?” Bucky feigns hurt. “Not good enough for you anymore?” Bucky laughs. He opens the drawer to where he keeps all of his provisions for heat. He takes out a larger plug than the one he usually uses, puts some of his slick on it, and pushes it in. His body accepts the intrusion without complaint. He rinses out the washcloth and cleans himself off again. He’s satisfied that he’s not leaking. He brushes past Steve and picks out a new pair of underwear and sweats to change into.

                  “Hey.” Steve says softly, just content to watch his mate move around. Bucky glances up at him as he dresses. “You’ll always be good enough for me.” Bucky shoots him a smirk. Honestly Steve is just too much of a sap sometimes. Bucky has to remind him life’s not all about eternal love, even if it feels that way most of the time.  

                  “How’s your dick in that fancy underwear?” Bucky teases.

                  “Why Bucky? Why would you draw my attention to that?” Steve rubs at his eye. Bucky gives the cup in Steve’s compression underwear a quick squeeze when he passes by him.

                  “Just curious.” Bucky winks. Steve takes a deep breath and curses everything about life. The upside is he’s not walking with an obvious erection all day like he would have been otherwise. The drawback is it feels like a torture chamber for his cock and balls. No lasting damage he tells himself as he follows Bucky and his plugged up ass. No lasting damage. They pick up Billy and take him down to the shooting range to meet the twins.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! Now that I have recovered from being thoroughly offended for no god damn reason( See my tumblr for further explanation). Here is some horribly domestic hilarity. These kids.. ugh. 
> 
> On another note. Thank you guys that messaged me on tumblr and cheered me up! I really appreciate that. I was so mad yesterday I was like, "Fucking bastard Trolls! I hate life! I will never write again!" because I am delicate on this topic due to a long history of being insecure about my spelling and grammar skills. Not really what the focus of their attack was but still. That kind of negativity towards my writing eats at me from an old, deep seeded ulcer caused by struggles from the past. Which is not to say the editing advice I've gotten for this work has not been immensely helpful. I hope you've noticed that I have seldom repeated the things that were drawn to my attention. Mostly homophone stuff. The embarrassment from fucking it up serves as a good basis for learning. Ha! Again, I do have a pretty severe case of dyslexia that I have trained for years to cope with. I also have several things wrong with my eyes that have been corrected through vision therapy and glasses. Unfortunately I missed a lot of important bits about spelling because I could hardly read until the forth grade. Then after that my dyslexia still trips me up sometimes. I don't know the spelling. I just sort of button mash and pray it looks like the right word. There was I time I would have written, "prey it looks like the write word". So just... context.   
> -The Trollop


	56. Chapter 56

               Sasha insists they hang her paper target on the refrigerator. Jamie’s wasn’t as good as hers but it goes up there too. Jamie has never been the shot his sister is (very few people are). It’s probably got to do with his vision issues. However he can do a lot of other things better than she can so he doesn’t resent her for a little gloating. She makes sure her target hangs in a higher spot on the fridge. She should be proud, if only a bit less arrogant. She rolls around on the ground with Roger Rogers and Billy yacking about how good her shooting was while Jamie sits cross legged on the couch.

               Steve stares at the target sheet in his hands with a frown. He took it off the fridge to look at it for the third (or twelfth) time. It has a single quarter sized hole in the dead center of it. Sasha shot the target eight times. He watched her do it. Steve pokes his finger through the hole. He’s never been able to shoot with even close to that accuracy in his life. Steve shakes his head at his daughter’s handiwork and tapes it back on the refrigerator next to some of the kids’ drawings and one of Jamie’s spelling tests from before break. Jamie got 100% thanks to hard work and Bucky being diligent with flash cards. After all of the shit Jamie went through to beat that stupid little test, Steve is actually prouder of Jamie for his effort than he is of Sasha’s natural talent. That’s not to say that he’s not proud of his daughter’s gift or that she hasn’t also been cultivating it with her mother since she was four years old. He just appreciates the underdog.

               After shooting practice the day slowly became a family training day. Bucky even woke Billy up so he could stumble along on the treadmill. Steve took a video of Bucky ready to catch his son while Billy giggles and ran. He never did fall. The family did everything they could think of without leaving the tower’s training area. Steve and Bucky have been avoiding outside contact. It’s been less than thirty six hours since Bucky woke up from the seizure and less than twenty four since they came home from the hospital. Neither of them have turned on their new phones since they got out of the hospital. They figure if it was something really important JARVIS would tell them. As it is, Bucky’s on edge even without the beeping of texts.

               The ex-assassin is certain he’s heard an unusual number of helicopters passing by. His heat is making him twitchier than usual too. Sudden movements have spooked him a few times that day. No matter what room they were in, if there was a window it either got tinted or covered. It’s like Bucky’s expecting a sniper to try and kill them in their own home. Steve knows that’s exactly what this is and more. Steve noticed him checking his weapon stashes whenever they were nearby and even making a new one. Steve only discovered him doing it by accident. Bucky tried to play it off like it was nothing. It makes Steve wonder what else the omega got up to while he was asleep.  Bucky’s on high alert even if they aren’t talking about the elephant in the room. Ever since his rut-brain problem has been mostly controlled by medication, Steve can’t help wondering why they haven’t talked about it.

               “So here is high fashion outfit number one. What do you think?” Bucky asks. Steve turns around. The kids have an hour before their bedtime and have demanded it be spent picking out their parent’s wardrobes for the evening. Bucky French braided his hair back and combined it with all that remains of the right side of his hair( a small patch on the back of his head). His hair looks nice considering he’s less than forty eight hours post brain surgery but Bucky either made no effort or was joking with his choice of clothes. He came out wearing his jacket and combat pants. The kids laugh on the couch.

               “No! You can’t go to the fancy wedding like that!” Sasha exclaims as she giggles at her mother’s impersonation of a fashion model. He's got the dispassionate pout/stare thing down. The hip wiggling is pretty spot on too. Bucky gives up the act and smiles. Steve doesn’t miss that Bucky’s fully strapped with weapons.

               "Fine! Shows what you know about fashion!" Bucky jokes. Steve follows him to the back bedroom to pick out their next options while the kids start playing Mario Kart.

               Steve watches his mate’s back as Bucky strips off his leather jacket. Underneath he still has knives in holsters strapped flush to his skin. Steve raises an eyebrow and slowly approaches. Bucky smells him and hears him. He’s not trying to hide that he’s armed.

               “Think they’ll frisk us at the wedding?” Steve runs his hands from Bucky’s ribs down to his hips, to his inner thighs, outer thighs, backs of his knees, calves. 12 knives in total.

               “I somehow doubt the guest list is any less dangerous unarmed.” Bucky glances at Steve as the alpha stands back up and scents his neck. Bucky smells like he should be on the bed with his ass in the air begging to be bred. This is frustrating.

               “You have a point. Or twelve.” From behind him, Steve wraps his arms around his mate’s bare mid-drift.

               “Fourteen. My dress shoes have spikes in them.”

               “So what happens if I step on your feet?” Steve rocks them back and forth a little as if they were dancing.

               “You get to take me home and fuck me anyway?” Bucky smiles and turns his head to look at his alpha. “You gonna make me disarm, Captain?”

               “Disarm? No. Disrobe? Definitely later.” Steve purrs into his ear. Bucky chuckles under his breath. Steve kisses his ear and then backs his mouth off just enough so he’s clear. “Do what makes you comfortable. Who am I to tell you ‘no’ with things as they are?”

               “And how are they?” Bucky asks far more seriously than he has been the rest of this conversation. He stares at the bed thinking about blood on sheets all of a sudden.

               Steve detects something odd. Bucky’s scent flickers from heat to something else. “Bucky?”

               “Huh?” Bucky looks back over his shoulder.

               “You’d tell me if you were being eaten alive with anxiety wouldn’t you?” Obviously not because he hasn’t said anything and he smelled for an instant like he’s on the cusp of a panic attack. His heat scent is masking it. Stupid, stupid alpha! He kicks himself mentally for not figuring it out earlier. He was so absorbed with awaiting Bucky’s heat he missed why he wasn’t going into it.

               “Ummm.” Bucky chews his lip. Steve lets go of him so he can sit Bucky down on the bed.

               “That’s what it is isn’t it? You’re having such a strong stress response that you’re delaying your own heat. It’s got nothing to do with the shot.” Steve says concernedly. “Bucky… why didn’t you tell me?”

               “Look I don’t know that’s what it is! I’ve been under a lot of stress from the surgeries and stuff. I shouldn’t have started my heat until today anyway. I thought I was just late or something. Don’t look at me like that, I’ve had a lot to think about!” Bucky argues defensively.

               “I know. But you could have told me.” Steve strokes his cheek. He doesn’t want to fight.

               “I don’t feel like I’m having a panic attack. I was before the seizure, though. But now I feel normal … or maybe it’s just an absence. I was trying not to think about it.” Bucky rubs his mouth as he forces himself to analyze it.  “I’ve been feeling this weird sense of calm since I woke up. Before the seizure the fear had been building and building since the attack. Maybe even as long as the kids’ school thing. I couldn’t panic any more than I already was so I just… I think I woke up after the seizure like this.”

               “Baby…” Steve studies his mate. “I’m sorry I didn’t notice it. I was just so happy you weren’t going to leave me.” Steve bites his lip for a second. “Is that really what you think happened? You’ve dissociated to relieve the stress? Like when you switch over to The Winter Soldier?”

               “I had this weird dream where I was talking to myself. Myself from before the war, that is. I think I might have taken more of him back with me than I realized.”

               “So what is this then? A new personality?” Steve looks very worried now.

               “No.” Bucky shakes his head. “Just a coping mechanism. I’m just not processing the situation I guess.”

               “But you are, Buck? Look at you. You’re strapped up to go into battle.”

               “Okay, so one of my personality’s subconscious is ignoring the situation.” Bucky tries to smile. It doesn’t look right. “The Winter Soldier was never really on board with Bucky’s plan to begin with.”

               “Why are we going to the wedding tonight, Buck?” Steve asks with his hand comfortingly on the nape of his mate’s neck.

               That question gives Bucky pause. He hasn’t actually addressed why. He knows there is a dire urgent reason for him to go and it has to do with the safety of his children. He also knows that it has to do with his public image and their public image and sorting out what the hell is going on with his heat. In other words, The Winter Soldier has been making plans inside his head without him realizing it again.

                Bucky covers his face with his hands and whimpers. His stomach is slowly dripping down the drain into a free fall. He feels like he’s going to be sick. Hormonally he’s ready for breeding, emotionally he’s falling to pieces, subconsciously he _is_ in pieces, and The Winter Soldier is subtly behind the wheel. He does the only thing he can think of in these situations and hugs onto Steve.

                Steve’s tight embrace envelopes him. He comfortably drowns in his alpha’s scent which smells like both rut and love despite it all. Steve holds him just as surely now in this mess as he does when they’ve just made love.

                “Shhhhh.” Steve rubs his back. “You’re going to be okay. We know what’s going on now. It’s alright. You had the right instinct. Charles will know how to help with this. You’re going to be just fine.” Steve sooths. Bucky realizes he’s sobbing only after his tears have stained Steve’s workout shirt. “Hey.” Steve nudges Bucky’s chin upward with his knuckle so he can look his omega in the eye. “Let’s put on a show for our kids for just a couple more minutes and then we’ll go a little early to the wedding and see if we can catch Charles? Sound good?”

                Bucky wipes his eye with the side of his hand and nods. “Am I going to fall apart again after this? I know I’m not right physically because of it but what if I’m really messed up in the head once this weird calm is over?”

                “Then we’ll figure it out. It’s going to be complicated because of this heat.” Steve licks his lips. “If after we get this worked out you think we have to hold off on the baby, I’ll go take a vacation or do whatever else you need me to do.” He smiles lovingly at his mate

                “No.” Bucky frowns.

                “What?” Steve tries to think of what he just said wrong. He thinks he was being perfectly reasonable. His dick most certainly does not but that doesn’t matter if it’s going to upset Bucky.

                “No you will not be leaving me during our heat week. No we will not be putting off having our baby. I’m not letting my fucked up head ruin our lives any more than it already has.”

                “Bucky-!” Steve is about to jump to his defense but Bucky cuts him off.

                “Don’t argue with me.” Bucky cups Steve’s face in his hands. “Just say, ‘Yes Bucky. We will live happily no matter what.’” Bucky’s sad expression bores into Steve beseechingly. Steve sighs and leans their foreheads together. They both close their eyes.

                “Of course we will. No matter what.”

                “Now you can say it.” Bucky’s chin quivers and his hold on Steve tightens.

                “Because I’m with you till the end of the line.” Steve whispers to him. He kisses Bucky lightly and cradles his head to his shoulder.

                “You’re goddamn right.” Bucky mutters. Steve cracks up quietly while he rocks Bucky back and forth.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put off the wedding until next chapter because I realized this chapter belonged in here first. 
> 
> Thanks to everybody who wrote a comment to tell me how much they love the story. I feel way better about my writing ability now. I kind of mislead you into thinking I was attacked by some Troll over my spelling. I'm insecure about my spelling, certainly, I was actually attacked over the content of my story. Basically the fucker commented on 'The Winter Soldier Goes Into Heat' saying that I'm a disgusting person for making Steve a rapist and that all A/B/O is fucked up but especially mine. *Twitch* *twitch* I have been thoroughly assured this is not the case. Because fuck them and their inability to read! My story is the fluffiest, goofiest, least 'rapey' in this AU! (That I have read anyway) I know I've gone darker recently but I've also maintained my goofiness as well. I really am fine now guys. Thanks so much. I adore you all... please don't call me a disgusting rapist.


	57. Chapter 57

              The selection of outfits turns out to be slim. Luckily when Bucky and Steve come back out to show off their first and second options the kids approve instantly.

              Bucky owns exactly one suit. It is midnight blackish blue and fitted perfectly to him. He wears a black button up shirt and tie with it. The suit was purchased for him to wear to a fancy fundraising event. Bucky didn’t go because he deemed the venue not secure enough. The twins were about a year old. He was generally a mess at the time of his life. The twins weren’t even going to the event.

               Steve owns a few formal options but he chooses to wear a simple black suit and tie with a dark blue shirt that matches Bucky’s suit. The twins take their picture with Steve’s new phone. Bucky makes a mental note to save that photo until the kids complain about him taking _their_ photos for dances and such.

               Once they are dressed, Steve gets the kids ready for bed while Bucky goes to talk to Natasha and Barton. Nat and Clint are the go to babysitters during heat week. That’s just because they live on the same floor as them so Nat and Barton can sleep in their own bed and still be easily accessible to the kids. JARVIS would also notify them if they are needed just the same as he would notify Steve and Bucky.

               Bucky knocks on the door to Nat and Barton’s suite. Natasha opens the door instantly. Bucky is slightly surprised by her swiftness. She looks distraught.

               “You haven’t come to see me.” She says immediately. There is a little crease under her eyes.

               “I’ve been kind of busy.” Bucky knows he could have found time though. He should have.

               “I thought we’d secure the tower together, check the ammo stores, analyze intelligence data on possible threats. Something.” Natasha hangs her head. “I thought you’d come and tell me you were alright at least.”

               “Natasha…” Bucky hugs her. She’s stiff in his arms, still uncomfortable being comforted after all these years. “Did you do it without me?”

               “Of course. It had to be done.”

               “Good. I knew you would. I need you to keep a watch on the threat level for the week while I can’t. The kids start school again in three days. I don’t want you to bring them back until I can do it myself.” He lets go of her so they can talk at a comfortable distance.

               “Do you want me to go undercover at the school until we can get them back to private school?”

               “That would be preferable. If you could get Barton a hotdog stand or something nearby that’d also be nice.”

               Natasha raises an eyebrow. “You want Barton to work at a hotdog stand?”

               “I want him to be easily accessible. I don’t care if that means he has to work a street corner to do it.”

               “I’ll tell him you said that.” Natasha smirks. “Don’t worry. We’ll take care of them.”

               “I’m depending on you.”

               “I won’t disappoint.”

.oOo.

                Steve and Bucky were just going to walk out the door and have one of the Tony’s town cars pick them up. They decide against it when they discover that the entire sidewalk and all ‘public’ space outside Stark Tower has been occupied by news reporters and paparazzi. Bucky bristles in annoyance. He has the strong urge to go get a rocket launcher. Steve isn’t so happy about it either.

                “Come on Buck. Let’s get the Quinjet to drop us off.” Steve takes Bucky’s hand and pulls him along before Bucky makes a scene. He’s exactly the kind of person who attacks paparazzi.

.oOo.

                The outside of the museum looks fairly normal accept for the presence of a doorman. They are a half an hour early but Steve manages to get the doorman to let them in anyway. Inside the place is buzzing with busy caterers. It’s not hard to follow them to the room the wedding is being held in.

                There is an enormous whale hanging from the ceiling. That’s what they notice first. The next thing they see is how stunningly beautiful the place looks. It’s just like something out of a brochure or a magazine photo shoot. If Steve and Bucky hadn’t of been raised poor they might have a better understanding of what exactly it all is. Alas to them it just looks really nice. They’re correct of course, it is the height of luxury.

                 “James! Steve! You’re early.” The bright voice of Charles calls as he walks swiftly over to them. As heat high as he looked yesterday, today is worse. Just like Bucky, he looks sweaty and flushed but absolutely glowing. The white knee length tunic he’s wearing is probably a family heirloom. The robe over the top of it is lacy and feminine looking. It reminds Steve of a dressing robe crossed with a fancy handkerchief. His fitted trousers and white leather boots make him look like something out of a medieval fantasy film. This is the traditional wedding attire for a male omega. 

                 “Hi. Wow, you look very nice.” Steve greets. Bucky grumbles next to him and stands slightly closer to his mate. Steve shoots him an amused glance. Charles poses zero threat to Steve’s affections for Bucky but the omega still leans over to quickly nuzzle Steve’s neck. Steve puts an arm around Bucky’s waist to hold him to his side.

                 “Thank you!” Charles says breathlessly. “You’re in rut too? Oh fantastic, Erik is going to try to rip your throat out.” Charles says oh so cheerily. He covers one of his eyes. “Oh my, there I go again. I’m sorry, I’ve completely lost my filter. It’s terrible I can’t keep anything to myself.”

                 “Oh. That’s…” He’s really hoping Charles will be able to help. “We actually need your help. Is there any chance you might be able to use your powers to help Bucky? He’s stuck in a dissociative state. He can’t deal with the stress and it’s holding back his heat.”

                 Charles stares at Bucky. “Oh, bloody hell.” Charles smacks himself in the forehead. “I’m so sorry!” Charles throws his arms around Bucky and Steve. Steve leans away because his scent is so strong. Bucky’s first response is to firmly put himself in between his mate and the other omega. Charles still refuses to let go of him though. Bucky eyes his follow omega suspiciously.

                 “What?” Bucky asks apprehensively.

                 “This is all my fault! I’ve done this. When I came to visit you in the hospital I must have sent you a suggestion while I was checking in on you.” Charles bemoans.

                 “What!” Bucky yells. Nothing pisses Bucky off like people fucking with his head. He pushes Charles off. “What did you do to me?!” Bucky snarls. Steve holds onto Bucky while he glares at Charles. He’s not going to let his mate maul Charles but that doesn’t mean he’s pleased.

                 “I can’t tell you how sorry I am.” Charles apologizes and shrinks away. Steve’s displeased alpha scent is making him tremble in fear. The pedigreed omega is broadcasting his distress through his scent. It won’t be long before his mate shows up. “I seem to have told your mind to be at peace. Unfortunately your mind isn’t as simple as most people’s. Part of it ignored me and has caused havoc subconsciously.”

                 “The Winter Soldier.” Bucky clarifies.

                 “That would be it.” Charles wets his lips. “I really didn’t mean to do that. I think it should be pretty obvious that if I had, I would have done a better job of it.” Charles defends. “Has it really been so bad?”

                 “I thought I was getting even crazier!” Bucky growls.

                 “Bucky, calm down. Please don’t fight him.” Steve pets Bucky’s back and holds him to his chest to keep him from lunging. As Bucky’s alpha he has far more sway over Bucky now in his pre-heat state than he normally would. His sway currently counts for jack shit all the same.

                 “Oh please don’t do that. I might kill you in defense. I have little to no control of my powers at all at the moment.”

                 “So what does that mean!?” Bucky roars.

                 “It means I don’t think I can undo what I’ve done.” Charles winces.

                 “You son of a bitch! I can’t go into heat because of this!”

                 “Technically you can’t go into heat because of the stress. What I did was making you not realize you were having the stress response in the first place.” Charles corrects while holding his wince.

                 “Get the fuck out of my head!” Bucky almost breaks Steve’s hold on him. He harmlessly kicks his feet at Charles instead. If any of those kicks had landed they would not have been so harmless.

                 “I can’t help it! You’re practically screaming at me! Well you _are_ screaming at me, but I meant _mentally screaming_.”

                 “Well no shit!”

                 “Charles?” Erik calls in his version of rut voice. “What’s going on?” Erik approaches looking more hostile than usual. He protectively holds Charles to him in much the same way Steve holds Bucky.

                 “It’s alright, Darling. I’ve just fucked up is all.” Charles wipes his eyes. Erik pins Bucky and Steve with a glare. Bucky can feel his arm being tugged at. It makes him even more agitated. “Listen I know this is probably not what you are looking for as an answer.” Charles tells the other omega. “But even if I was to take away my suggestion, you still wouldn’t be able to experience your heat normally. I don’t think I can take away without running the risk of taking too much. But if you trust me, I think I could suggest to the other part of your mind to let go of the stress until you’re done with your heat. I can undo it all when we’ve both come back to our full senses.”

                  Bucky is about to respond violently in the negative but Steve stops him. “Let us talk for a few minutes before we decide.” Steve insists. He puts a firm hand on Bucky’s shoulder. “Please, Buck?”

                  Bucky looks over his shoulder at his mate. They exchange a look for a few moments before Bucky relents. “Fine.” He huffs.

                  “Excellent. Because whether it is convenient for you two or not, our wedding is starting in twenty minutes.” Erik snaps. “Please try not to be any more upsetting than you already have been.” He growls at the pair and directs Charles to a side room. They leave Bucky and Steve to talk this over. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pesky, heat high, psychic, omega Charles Xavier is adorable but also distressing. Bucky just wants to have his cake and eat it too. Is that such a crime? Also I figured Bucky and Steve would try not to make a big deal out of saying goodbye and stuff because it would just make the situation all the more unhappy. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	58. Chapter 58

               The mated pair stands there in the American Museum of Natural History together in silence. Bucky has his arms crossed and his head leaned on Steve’s shoulder while Steve has his arms around him.

               “You can’t pick a fight with the bride on his wedding day.” Steve tells Bucky calmly.

               “He messed with my head Steve.” Bucky’s heat scent is barely more prominent than the smell of stress on him. It appears that whatever Charles did to him is only acting on his response to what put him in his original panicked state. That or it’s wearing off, Steve can’t tell.

               “I know, Buck. But can I be honest for a second?” Steve nuzzles his omega’s cheek to scent him with ‘love, safe, protection’. The gestures conveys that even without Steve’s enhanced alpha scent. Bucky looks up at him.

               “Well you did want to talk, didn’t you?” Bucky pouts.

               “I did. Buck, we came here tonight hoping that Charles would be able to do something. I somehow really doubt you were imagining he’d be able to do it without messing with your head a little.” Bucky starts lightly rumbling deep in his chest. “I know! I know. It’s different because he did it without your consent. But please at least consider that what he did, even if it did cause problems, did help us a little. It gave us a day of peace with our family. If nothing else we have to be grateful for that.”

                Bucky looks away. “You think I should let him calm down The Winter Soldier?”

                “I think with Nat and Barton and all of SHIELD protecting our kids, The Winter Soldier can afford to take a short break so that you can do the things you want to do.” Steve puts a hand on Bucky’s nape. It’s a particularly soothing gesture from one mate to the other. “This is what we came here for, right? Besides, when your heat’s over he can take back what he did and we can work this out naturally however you like.”

                Bucky lets that sink in while still not looking at Steve. He’s right. He knows he’s right. The Winter Soldier’s instincts are intensely against this option but he doesn’t want to listen. He wants to listen to his mate and all the sense he makes. He wants to curl up with Steve and get pregnant and not be constantly frightened by unseen forces. Still, he’d be denying reality by doing this. That’s a less than comforting prospect to someone who has fought so long to regain his grip on what’s real. Maybe this is just another part of that? What is real here? Hydra probably is plotting something but how does he combat what he doesn’t know? Is that real yet or is that just more of the paranoia? He’s not sure. He’s not sure about any of it. A part of him knows that no one should have to live in his reality. That’s the same part that wants to listen to Steve. Ignoring The Winter Soldier in favor of ignorant bliss is probably healthier than what The Winter Soldier would do.

                “I’ll let him do it.” Bucky looks up at Steve.

                Charles yells in surprise in the next room. A roar of emotional greetings follows it. The X Men must have just arrived.

                Steve smiles at Bucky, not caring about the commotion in the next room. “I think you’re making the right call.” Bucky uncrosses his arms and presses himself completely flush to his mate. He wraps his arms around Steve’s neck and scents him again for reassurance. Steve strokes his back and closes his eyes.

                A thought occurs to Bucky. “What if he accidentally does too much though? He’s high as fuck off his heat.” Bucky scowls. That doesn’t sit so well with Steve either. Bucky knows his heat is only going to get worse as the night goes on. There is not a moment to lose.

                He doesn’t wait for Steve. He runs into the room where Charles is having an emotional reunion with his friends and family. Steve is hot on his heels of course. In his hurry, Bucky doesn’t think. He weaves through the crowd of ecstatic people to get to Charles. Charles is crying happily with Erik by his side for support. His students and lifelong friends come up to him in groups or one at a time to say how much they missed him and beg him to come home. There are easily two hundred people there and Bucky just cut in front of all of them.

                “Hey what gives!?”

                “Who are you?”

                “Go away!” The crowd shouts at the intruder. Bucky ignores them all.

                “Xavier!” Bucky shoulders aside someone that looks like a blue devil. Charles looks at him. Erik bares his teeth and snarls. It’s not Bucky he’s snarling at specifically, it’s Steve rushing towards him.

                “Oh yes, could you give me a minute or two?” Charles asks hopefully as he dabs away tears.

                “No. Do the thing you said you’d do and I’ll leave you alone.” Bucky insists. Erik’s eyes narrow.

                “How dare you. I’ve been planning this for months and you’re ruining it.” He growls.

                “Darling, nothing is going to ruin this it’s just on pause. Yes I suppose I can, just give me a second to compose myself.”

                “Bucky! What are you doing?” Steve hisses. He’s right by Bucky which means he’s less than four feet from Charles. Erik redoubles his snarling.

                “Hey get your mate to back off this isn’t cool!” Some teenager yells at Steve. Steve looks in the direction of where that came from.

                “You know what’s not cool? Brainwashing. My mate can do what he wants.” Steve leans down to whisper to Bucky. “But please do it fast because you’re actually ruining a moment, Babe.”

                Charles gestures for Bucky to come even closer. “Alright come here and don’t startle. It’s safer if I put my hand on your head.” Bucky leans his braided side towards Charles. Charles gently rests his fingertips on the other omega. Charles closes his eyes and concentrates. This is far more effort than he would normally put in but he’s being careful.

                “There you go.” Charles smiles. He takes his hand away.

                “Can we please have our professor back now?!” Someone yells angrily.

                “What?” Steve asks Charles, completely ignoring the angry mob now. Bucky puts his hands on his head. He feels nothing.

                “It’s done. The Winter Soldier shouldn’t be causing any more interference until your heat has passed. You’re good to go.”

                “I don’t feel like anything’s different?” Bucky focusses.

                “You wouldn’t though would you? I already did this to your mind. I just did it again to a part of your mind that is normally subconscious unless you let it take control.

                “Oh…” Bucky feels a gentle fluttering is his gut. “Thanks I guess.”

                “No problem, my friend. You should stay at the party. It’s going to be lovely.” Charles suggests.

                “Oh…” Bucky puts his hand on Steve’s shoulder as the fluttering gets more intense. “Yeah, we will.” Bucky squeezes his eyes shut. Steve rubs his chin, he can already smell the difference in his mate. This is going to be a very intense heat. Those anti-rut pills are burning up like sparklers. Steve’s alpha musk is returning in force and it’s only been a few seconds. Erik looks completely beside himself.

                “Alright, you’ve gotten what you wanted! Now get the hell away from my mate.”

                “Yeah!” The crowd yells in agreement with Magneto for once in their lives. The strangeness of that is not lost on any of them.

.oOo.

An Hour Later

                The ceremony is to take place after dinner. Steve, Bucky, Peter, Wade, Sue, Reed, and Franklin have all been placed at the same table. Rogue, Remy, and Logan are at the table within speaking distance to their left. Each one the tables is covered with the most exquisite china and silver cutlery. The centerpieces are gorgeous white bouquets and candles. The bouquets are fragrant but not nearly enough to dull the scent of the mated pair at the table.  Steve can’t actually taste the fancy dinner he’s eating. His olfactory sense has high jacked his taste buds. All he can taste is Bucky’s heat scent. Steve tried just not eating but he still tastes it even when he should be tasting nothing. Bucky has drank everyone at the table's water. He’s currently chewing on ice to try and get some relief. His tie has come off, his shirt is half way unbuttoned, fancy suit is sweaty and rumpled.

                “I have known Charles and Erik practically as long as they have known each other.” Hank McCoy begins. They’re doing toasts and speeches. “My initially thoughts on both of them were that they were both assholes.” The room laughs. “If you’re wondering how I got that impression from the kindest, most empathetic man I have ever known, the answer is he wasn’t always so good at keeping secrets. His first contact with me was outing me as a mutant to my boss.” Hank raises his glass to Charles. Charles covers his face in mortification even sixty years later. Erik is smiling his full ‘shark face’ smile. It’s been a long time since anyone but Charles has seen it. “To say the least, my first impression of Erik wasn’t far off. You all know this though so I don’t feel the need to explain.” Hank clears his throat while The X men laugh and think of a personal experience where Magneto has given them hell. “But as I said, these were my first impressions. Later I would learn that Charles and Erik are one of the most formidable teams this world has ever seen. There is nothing those two can’t accomplish if they can figure out how to work together. Their combination of wisdom and skill is extraordinary. Over the years I have been an X Man and Charles’ friend I have observed that a great deal of the troubles between these two were as much ideological as they were matters of the heart. They’ve struggled over what they are supposed to be to each other for a lifetime. When I heard that they’d been given a second chance at life and were choosing to live it together I wept for my friend.” He holds up his hand. “Tears of joy I assure you.” The crowd chuckles. “I’m so beside myself with excitement to see you so happy. I have not seen you this full of life since you first met Erik all those years ago.” He says directly to Charles. Hank raises his glass. The rest of the guests do as well except for Steve and Bucky.

                Steve sees his chance during the applause. The compression underwear has gotten to the point of being unbearable. While everyone claps. He reaches under the tablecloth into his pants and rips the seam of the crotch open to give himself room. He could come right then from relief alone. His balls and engorged knot are free from the oppressive confines of his underwear at last. He quickly removes his hands and laces his fingers together above the table. He looks like he’s praying. He leans his forehead against his white knuckles with his elbows propped on the table. Every exhale comes with a short reverberation in his chest.

                His mate watches him hungrily. Bucky has slicked through his dress pants. He holds his jaw tight and tries to keep his breathing even. The urge to jump into Steve’s lap is almost irresistible. The plug inside him isn’t doing anything. He wants it gone. He wants his mate's knot. His cloacal muscles are cramped from squeezing so tightly. His scent is distracting the whole room on some level. Charles is in heat too but he’s not as far into it as Bucky is. Bucky wants to bend over the table right now so his alpha can take him. It’s so bad that he’s awkwardly shifting back and forth in his seat just to get some friction.

                The speeches seem to be over. Steve looks at his mate. Bucky’s mouth opens. He licks his lips. His pupils are dilated to the degree they only get under the influence of drugs and heat. He looks wrecked. A bead of sweat runs from his temple down his cheek bone to his jaw. Bucky rubs his chin on his shoulder to wipe it off. His hands are too busy holding onto his chair to restrain himself from presenting to his mate. The turn of his head shows off his bonding mark. Bucky sees his alpha inspecting it. Bucky gulps and keeps it on display. He want Steve to take him, there or anywhere. Just somewhere. He needs to be fucked.

                Something is said from the long table where Charles and Erik are sitting with their bridal party. Steve doesn’t hear. His entire awareness is focused on Bucky’s exposed neck. Bucky senses whatever is going on right now constitutes free time. He looks at Steve pleadingly and whimpers to get his attention. Bucky gestures with his eyes to a corridor of the museum. Bucky staggers to his feet. His muscles feel like putty. Steve stands up and steadies him. Bucky would normally say something about how it is incredibly obvious what they are doing. He doesn’t care. They walk as swiftly as they can until they can only hear a distant din from the party. Steve eagerly nuzzles his mate’s neck much to the omega’s approval. Bucky doesn’t even bother with kisses or foreplay of any kind. There will be time for that later. He’s getting what he needs now. Bucky hurriedly unbuckles his pants and pulls them down. He turns around and braces himself against the closest flat surface. Steve is right behind him taking his plug out and rubbing himself against him. Steve bites his bond mark without warning. Bucky whines and ejaculates onto what he was bracing himself on. He opens his eyes and takes a few deep breaths while he feels Steve shucking his clothes off behind him. Bucky’s brow creases together in confusion at what he’s seeing.

               His come is streaked across a blown up picture of he and Steve in elementary school visiting this museum as part of a school trip. Bucky looks around and realizes they just stumbled into a Captain America exhibit. Bucky doesn’t care, he’s getting what he needs.  

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was re-written because originally Franklin was going to be the one to to the mind thing to Bucky. I changed it because Bucky being incredibly rude is funny. And happy 100k birthday to The Winter Soldier Goes Public! You are officially a long ass fan fiction.
> 
> -The Trollop


	59. Chapter 59

               “AAAHHH…!” Bucky screams as he has his third cloacal orgasm so far. He’s literally seeing stars and stripes. The whole room _is_ covered in them. Now it’s also covered in super soldier sweat and other more lascivious bodily fluids. They broke the informational sign with their faces on it. Bucky kept begging for it harder. Steve gave it to him. They split the table/sign clean down the middle like something out of a C.S. Lewis novel. Of course that didn’t stop them from eagerly fucking on the ground, then against one of the Plexiglas display cases. That now has a huge spider web crack in it. The epicenter is a sweaty imprint of Bucky’s ass. Bucky flipped them around when they were kissing and accidentally threw Steve through one of the cases. He landed in a collection of artifacts from his old apartment. He didn’t care, he pounced back on his mate right away afterward.

               His alpha’s knot stretches Bucky to his limit as Steve pulls his hips back. “Oh! Stevie! Just one last-!” Steve pushes his knot back through the tight ring of muscle at his entrance. He’s too thick to pull out without hurting his mate. Bucky has his legs hugged around his alpha’s hips. His nails dig into Steve's shoulders where earlier claw marks and broken Plexiglas has left red scratch marks.

               Steve grunts and bites his lip as he grinds his knot into Bucky’s bonding glands. “Come for me again. You can do it, Baby.” Steve groans in a deep rumble straight from the gut.

               “Oh fuck! Fuck I can’t it’s too much I can-!” Bucky’s chin trembles, his eyes roll back in his head. Steve finds just the right angle that puts him on the edge. “Ah! Right there! Right there! Oh shit!” Bucky cries.

               Steve’s fingers dig into the concrete floor half an inch. “Uhhhh!” He yells. Unlike Bucky’s screaming, Steve’s barely sounds human. He comes in violent, body-shaking bursts inside his mate. His hips spasm erratically back and forth. Bucky moans under him. He rakes his nails up Steve’s shoulders as his face contorts into surprise. He wasn’t expecting to be able to orgasm.

               “Shit!” He hisses as he clamps down hard around his mate’s sizeable girth. Every time he orgasms during heat he surprises Steve with how strong his pelvic floor muscles are. The waves of contractions practically milk the semen out of the alpha’s swollen knot. It’s a beautiful way to ensure reproduction and so satisfying to experience.

               Steve moans for mercy. His mate is so tight. Bucky relaxes a little around him once the ripples of his orgasm have subsided. Bucky lets his arms fall carelessly by the sides of his head. He’s covered in sweat from the exertion of heat sex. His hair has spilled out of the French braid. Steve likes to pull. Bucky’s chest rises and falls more slowly as he comes down from his high. He licks his lips and opens his eyes.

               Steve breathes heavily, poised above Bucky with his arms bracing him on either side of his omega. Unlike omegas, whom turn boneless after sex, alphas get a little burst of energy. It’s useful for tending to knotted mates and staying prone in positions like this. Steve is dripping with sweat too. His alpha musk has permeated the whole area. Steve can’t smell it, all he smells is Bucky. The omega has the opposite experience. His brain has gone fuzzy with hormones released from his bonding glands. He comfortably relaxes around his mate’s knot and settles in to stay put for about fifteen minutes. Steve’s already knotted him once already in the last hour, it won’t last as long the second time.

               Steve grabs something soft looking from the display case and uses it to dab Bucky’s forehead so the sweat won’t run into his eyes. He then uses it to wipe the come off Bucky’s stomach. He’s had a few ejaculations between his more satisfying orgasms. Bucky smiles dopily at his mate gently tending to him. The soft thing smells familiar.

               “What is that?” Bucky asks lazily but just serious enough for Steve to inspect it. He sets it down on the ground next to them to see it better. It’s a tiny sweater. Specifically it is the tiny sweater Steve’s mother made for him one winter when he was in the hospital with pneumonia. “You didn’t just wipe my come on that, did you?”

               “Oh my god, what have I done?” Steve says in horror.

               “Shhhh.” Bucky laughs even though he’s trying to be comforting. He grabs the sweater and balls it up to use as a pillow for his healing head. He is lying on concrete after all. “You know, your mom would have thought this was funny.” Steve takes a deep breath.

               “Yes she would have.” He chuckles softly even if he still feels guilty.

               “What have I told you about laughing when you’re inside me?” Bucky raises an eyebrow.

               “It tickles.” Steve mirrors his expression.

               Bucky rolls his eyes at him. “You’re the worst.”

               “You’re the best.” Steve leans down and kisses him. Bucky returns it gratefully. Steve pulls back just an inch to speak.“Pick your head up.” Bucky does so without question. Steve folds his meaty arms under Bucky’s head so he has a better pillow. It’s also easier to kiss like this. Bucky wraps his arms under Steve’s armpits and coaxes his mate’s mouth into sloppy, adoring kisses.

              The kisses gradually get more heated as the minutes tick by and Steve’s knot goes down. They’ll go again as soon as Steve can get free of Bucky. The omega is already starting to whimper in distress. The urge is all consuming at this point during heat. He grinds his hips into his alpha’s to try and scratch at the itch inside him.

              “Stevie…” Bucky is sweating more now. His bonding hormones are wearing off.

              “I know just a few more minutes, Baby.” Steve nuzzles him and rocks his hips as best he can. Bucky grips at Steve’s shoulders. The Weapon has left a nasty pattern of bruises on Steve’s skin. He looks like someone dotted him with red-ish purple finger-paint. Steve exhales sharply when that spot is touched. He growls at the pain. Bucky rumbles back at him. Steve didn't mean it towards Bucky but he apologies anyway by kissing their bonding mark on Bucky’s neck. He didn’t mean to growl at his precious mate. Not when he’s doing this with him.

              Steve carefully maneuvers their joined bodies so that his bended legs are under Bucky's back to prop him up. Steve’s knees rest against Bucky’s shoulder blades. Bucky makes soft noises of complaint at being shifted but it stops when he feels why. A shock goes through his body straight from his nipple to his groin when Steve puts his mouth on it. It’s like there is a wire directly connecting those places and Steve’s plucking it. “Oh!” Bucky arches up into the touch of Steve’s mouth. His legs detangle from Steve’s waist so he can hook them over Steve’s shoulders. Steve ghosts his lips over the sensitive, thin skin of his areolas then licks at his peaked nipple before sucking it between his lips. He mirrors the action on the other side as best as he can with his hand. Bucky moans like an animal being eaten alive.

              “Oh please! Oh! No you shouldn’t my-I’ll.” Bucky isn’t so convincing when he’s writhing in pleasure. Steve kisses his mate’s sternum.

              “If you like it, you should let me.” He husks at his mate. The ‘e’ at the end reverberates strongly in a low tone.

              “It’s weird.” His hips jerk uncontrollably. “I-I nurse like that.” Bucky whines as Steve continues to pull on his nipples.

              “I’ve seen you nurse. It’s nothing like this.” Steve inhales then licks Bucky’s throat instead. He kisses his pulse point because Bucky still hasn’t given him permission to kiss his nipples. Even if it is silly. “Aren’t you always saying how people treating your chest different when you’re nursing is silly?”

               Bucky pouts. That is one of his pet peeves. “Fuck it, I’m in heat, go crazy.” Bucky sighs.

               Steve shifts Bucky again this time up so he’s in his lap. Bucky takes his legs down from Steve’s shoulders and rests them on the ground. “Can you pull off?” Steve thinks he might be able to. Bucky braces his knees against the ground and pulls his body up slightly to test it. Bucky exhales and pulls up and off of Steve’s cock. Steve has to lift his mate up a bit so he can completely unsheathe himself.

               “Oh…” As soon as Steve is out of him Bucky’s insides start cramping up again. “Stevie…” Bucky whimpers. He squeezes his eyes shut and holds his abdomen.

               “I know, I know, shhh.” Steve pets him soothingly. He picks Bucky up under his leaking bottom. Come and slick drips down his thighs obscenely. Bucky nuzzles his mate aggressively as he’s pinned up against an unmarred wall of Plexiglas. Steve’s knot still isn’t down enough for him to penetrate him fully. Steve is so large it really makes no difference to the omega. Steve nips his mate’s right nipple while he holds him and fucks him with the first six inches of his dick. It’s extremely rewarding to be able to hold him with the kind of control he has. Bucky has absolutely no fear of falling. Bucky has very few thoughts whatsoever except for pleasured nonsense.

               Steve shifts his mate a little to the left. Bucky yips and clings onto Steve’s head. “Oh! Ah! Ah!” Steve found his prostate for the first time that night. The alpha thrusts up into that spot with the amount of force he knows his omega melts for. Bucky pulls on Steve’s hair as he pants and moans. Steve’s groans are muffled by the sweet nipple in his mouth. He grabs one of his mate’s breasts (even if Bucky would never call it that) and massages the swollen tissue.  Bucky sobs in ecstasy. He has no outlet to express what he’s feeling other than screaming gibberish.

               “You! Oh! OOH! Ste- Ba-Fuck! Fuck! Oh!” Steve thrusts slightly harder into him to see how loud he can get him to be. The answer is very loud. Bucky shakes his head and screams like he’s having a fit. His eyes are watering, his lips are quaking, his eyes flutter then clench shut as he gets impaled. Steve’s knot has gone down without any pressure on it. He can use his full length now. He only grazes Bucky’s prostate on the up thrust now. It will make things last a bit longer and he does like to tease. Steve can’t concentrate on his mate’s chest while he does this. In this position he has to be careful not to go too deep and hurt his mate. The alpha softly growls possessively and nuzzles into his mate’s neck. 

               “Stevie!” Bucky clings onto his mate. Steve’s vocabulary currently consists of growls. “I want down. Want to-ride. AH!” Bucky reflexively pushes his head back against the Plexiglas. “Hear me?”

               “Nexttm.” Steve mumbles into Bucky’s neck. The noise is barely discernable as words. Bucky grits his teeth and smashes the fist of The Weapon into the display case. Steve catches Bucky at once so he doesn’t fall into the mess of shards or the display of… Steve’s medical records. Bucky rocks forward hard, grappling Steve onto the ground and reinserting his cock inside himself in one elegant go.

                Bucky wails with satisfaction. This is exactly the feeling he wanted and now he has all the control he can handle, much to his alpha’s frustration. Alpha’s typically like to be in control during their rut. Bucky holds Steve’s arms down and grinds his ass how he pleases.

                “Fuckk!” Steve bellows, baring his teeth. Steve is enjoying this far more than most would.

                “Yes! Oh!” Bucky picks his hips up and lets himself slide down his mate’s cock again and again just to admire the look of utter pleasure on Steve’s face. “See better, right?” Bucky extends a surprisingly gentle hand to caress his mate’s cheek. Steve rubs his cheek back into the touch while he pants heavily. Steve’s nod is understated by his body rocking with Bucky’s. Bucky puts his hands on his alpha’s shoulder and picks up the pace to get exactly what he needs. Bucky throws his head back when he’s seconds away from coming. Steve’s knot is almost too big to pass through him again. Bucky’s thighs tremble and he grits his teeth as he orgasms internally and ejaculates at the same time. Steve moves quickly to maneuver Bucky onto his side and push back inside him so they can tie together comfortably.

                They breathe hard and out of synch with each other. Steve kisses the back of Bucky’s neck. He hasn’t come yet but that’s alright. Sometimes he’ll just come randomly while they’re tied. Bucky’s walls grip down on his knot like a vice, demanding seed. Sometimes not so randomly.

                “Shit!” Steve growls. He comes less powerfully than he had twenty minutes ago but still with more intensity than usual. He wraps his arms around Bucky and takes his hands. They’ve wound up in a pile of their clothes next to the broken sign. Bucky presses his forehead against the cool floor.

                “Five.” Bucky pants. Steve clears his throat.

                “Five for me too. You’re actually on nine, if you count coming out your cock too.”

                “I read once that cloacal orgasms are nine times more powerful than penile orgasms.” Bucky mumbles. “Go ahead, be jealous.”

                “Nope. I’m content with this for eternity.” Steve kisses their bonding mark.

                “Bite me?” Bucky asks hopefully. He usually requests to be bitten at some point during his heat, sometimes several times. Steve hums and pressed his teeth into his mark just hard enough to hurt but not break the skin. Bucky goes even more pliant in his arms. The bonding hormones from his cloaca and his neck must be hard at work and in strong numbers.

                “Oh my god, it’s worse than we thought.” Says an unwelcome voice from behind Steve’s back. Bucky instinctually pushes himself as close to Steve as he can get. Steve growls and bares his teeth over his shoulder at the intruder. He cradles Bucky protectively to him, grabs one of their suit coats and covers his mate with it, then snatches the broken sign and drags it between them and the intruder as a barrier.

                “Um Steve? It’s us. We’re here to take you home. You know, privacy?”

                The voices sound familiar but neither Steve nor Bucky is currently fully in touch with their knowledge of anything but each other. The exception would be their children.

                “It’s Tony and Darcy, your non-threatening omega friends.” Tony explains. “And seriously you guys made a mess. Are you tied? Is that why you’re hiding?”

                Steve growls.

                “Tony!” Darcy elbows him.

                Steve growls more.

                “What?” Tony yells.

                Steve continues to growl.

                “Way to be weird! Of course they’re tied. They’re either tied or having sex, that’s how it works on the first night.” Darcy says, more convinced than ever that Tony is the stupidest smart person she knows.

                Steve’s growling intensifies.

                “Well pardon me, my girl doesn’t have a knot. Forgive me if I’m out of ‘The Know’. So how do we do this? Scoop them up with the suit like a forklift and take them to the van?”

                Bucky growls along with Steve. Compared to Steve's deep, savage tone Bucky sounds like he's purring angrily. 

                “Just wait until they separate again and then we’ll take them home.”

                “I hate waiting.” Tony complains. “Also the sex fumes in here are probably wreaking havoc on my IQ.” He fans the air away from his face. 

                “Shut the fuck up Tony!” Bucky barks. Say what you like about forklifting but leave his mate’s delicious aroma out of it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I might be physically incapable of avoiding humor in my writing of sex scenes. I cannot take myself seriously. I kill myself every time with the, 'Oh my god, what have I done?" I think I'm going to write a short bonus scene about the NYPD officers who come to the museum to investigate the vandalism/robbery. Because they totally steal the sweater and some other stuff they got jizz all over. They're going to give it back! They just want to wash it first! But seriously can you imagine how much a sweater knitted by Steve Rogers' mother from when Steve was still small would be worth to a collector? Coulson could tell you! As an interesting side note, Peter is the one who called Darcy and Tony because the hormones from Steve and Bucky were going to start a riot/orgy. But that's another story. One that will be written. *shamelessly promotes other project some more*
> 
> Next chapter! "Endurance" Not that I name chapters but if I did, it would be named that.  
> This chapter was written to the inspirational tones of Whitney Huston's live performances. Most notably the second song of this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9m2AbYXWjHI  
> Because god damn that woman could sing! The only appropriate way to convey the passion in this relationship is through the voice of Whitney Huston! XD  
> -The Trollop


	60. Chapter 60

                The couple eventually unties and consents to moving to a more secluded location. Mated pairs are usually far more particular about where they have sex during heat. Initially relief is the only requirement but after a few hours of near mindless sex other necessities come into play. Small spaces is the first. Omegas seek out small spaces like closets or specially designed rooms when they are vulnerable during heat. Thousands of years ago this would have been a cave or den that the alpha picked for the omega. If they were a new couple, the den could be a make-or-break part of the bonding. In modern times omegas don’t demand a literal cave but they are rarely comfortable unless their hindbrain has approved of the ‘den’ conditions. Those conditions are: warm, snug, dimly lit, and comfortable enough to sleep in. Unfortunately for Tony and Darcy, the back of the van is rather den like. When they get to Stark Tower Bucky doesn’t want to leave which means Steve won’t budge either.

                “This is disturbing.” Tony rubs his eye socket. “Whose stupid idea was the van in the first place? We should have taken the Quinjet.” He and Darcy stand by the backdoors of the rocking van waiting for their friends to get done with their latest round of rambunctious sex.

                “That would have been even worse and you know it. Can you imagine what they could have broken?”

                “Oh I can imagine! How much property damage do you think they did at the museum?”

                “Depends, did they nick anything?” Darcy raises her eyebrow considering a number.

                “They took a sweater and a bunch of papers.”

                “Then I’ve got no idea. Ask Coulson.” Darcy shrugs.

                Tony sighs overdramatically. “If we told Coulson about this he’d get a hernia. Not that he probably doesn’t already know. I think he has a seventh sense for when Cap memorabilia is in danger. It’s not that big a deal. The stuff belongs to a private collection. It was just on loan so it didn’t rot in a basement someplace.”

                “Why do you know that?” Darcy squints suspiciously at Tony.

                “Because it would have been my basement. That stuff is from the joint estates of Peggy Carter and Howard Stark. In other words, it was actually my stuff.”

                “I think technically it’s Steve and Bucky’s stuff.” Darcy points at the quivering van.

                “Finders keepers, losers, they can have it.”

                An unusually loud yelp comes from the van. It sounded like Steve.

                “Is he okay?” Darcy itches to open the door and check.

                “I think we’ll find out any second now.” Tony waits for one of them to either emerge from the van shouting like a lunatic or for the van to continue swaying. The doors on the back of the van fly open. One of the sets of hinges gets bent too far by the force of it.

                “Help!” Steve screams with his mate in his arms. Bucky looks woozy. He whimpers in Steve’s grip. He must have collapsed during whatever gymnastic position they were in. He’s awake but not alert. The small bit of consciousness he does have seems angry that he isn’t being fucked.

                “What happened!?” Darcy shrieks. She’s afraid it’s the brain. Steve is shaking in fear of that too.

                They bring him into the tower where JARVIS does a quick diagnostic reading.

                “ _He’s going to be alright. He’s simply overheated and dehydrated from his heat. A cool bath and fluids ought to fix him up.”_ JARVIS informs them. Tony and Darcy take a deep breath in relief while Steve rushes his mate to the elevator to get to the nearest bathtub. In their haste to come to the worst possible conclusion they missed the simplest one. It’s extremely common for omegas to pass out during heat for obvious reasons. Heat is an enormously taxing process on the body, even more so than rut. Not only do omegas have sex for hours on end they do it with a fever.

                Darcy puts a hand over her heart. Tony puts a hand over his eyes.

                “Did you see the size of his dick?” Tony asks.

                “No and neither did you.”

.oOo.

                Bucky wakes up in a cold bath two minutes after he swooned. He howls and claws his way out of the chilly water immediately. He jumps out of the tub right into his mate’s arms.

                “Bucky!” Steve holds him tight to his chest.

                “Stevie?” Bucky shivers. All the hair on his body is standing on end. “Wh-ere?” He looks around. They’re in the bathroom attached to their heat room.

                “Heeroom.” Steve says into the skin of Bucky’s neck as he kisses it.

                “What?” Bucky turns his head so his forehead is flush to Steve’s.

                “Heat room. We’re home in our heat room. I’m sorry I let you get dehydrated.” Steve nuzzles him.

                “Did I faint?”

                “Yes.” Steve repeatedly kisses him from forehead to shoulder and back again. Bucky smiles and cuddles into the gentle touches. “Well almost.” Steve pulls a towel down from the rack by the bath so that he can dry Bucky off. “You need to drink water and eat something.”

                “Nooo…” Bucky whines childishly in his mate’s ear. “Want you to fuck me with my collar on. We’re home now. We can finally do it how I imagined it would be. It’ll be perfect.” Bucky grinds his hips in his mate’s lap while he ghosts his fingers over his shoulders.

                “You know I want to.” Steve rumbles. “But I have to take care of you first.” Steve picks him up under his wet rear and carries him out of the bathroom to the connected heat room. Bucky nips at Steve’s pulse while he’s cradled. They don’t go far. The bathroom is actually larger than the heat room itself. The room is just big enough for a custom sized bed fit for two super soldiers with a door’s width of room at the foot of the bed and no room at all to either side. A sliding door to the mini-kitchen and the rest of the tower is to the left of the foot of the bed and the bathroom door is to the right. As if the space wasn’t confined enough as it is, there is a curtain that blocks the view of the slim space at the end of the bed and a canopy that drapes down from the ceiling that adjusts to make the roof seem lower. There are switches on the wall that control the lighting and curtain level from easy reaching distance from Bucky’s side. Steve sets him down and arranges the balled up sheets by the omega’s sides so that he’s snug but not too warm. “What do you want to eat?”

                “Your come.” Bucky whines while he clamps his thighs around some of the sheets. Steve smiles fondly. One of his eyebrows twitches upward.

                “Other than that.”

                “I don’t know. What do I want?” Bucky wrinkles his nose. Steve sniffs the air, trying to figure it out by Bucky's scent. He leans his head to one side.

                “Spaghetti and meatballs?” Steve strokes the back of Bucky’s neck to try and keep him attentive. It keeps him soothed even if attentive is a little out of reach.

                “Make it for me?”

                “Wouldn’t let anybody else.” Steve tips Bucky’s chin up and kisses his mate with a deep, reverberating groan of contentment in his chest.

.oOo.

                Bucky pokes at his meatball dejectedly. “I hate you.” Bucky pouts and plops his face into the sheets.

                “Baby, you have to eat.” Steve growls lightly. He’s starting to get upset with Bucky’s resistance to his care.

                Bucky’s head snaps up so he can fix Steve with an angry glare. “I did!” Bucky yells, baring his teeth. “Now fuck me!”

                “You ate one bite of noodles!”

                “So!?” Bucky rolls from his back to his stomach to his back again violently.

                “So? That’s not enough!” Steve puts a hand on the omega’s stomach to keep him from thrashing.

                “I don’t want to eat. I hurt!” Bucky wipes some of the sweat off his forehead. Steve looks at him to try and figure out if he’s lying. He looks sincere. There is a little turn to the corner of his mouth he only ever gets when he’s uncomfortable. Steve sighs.

                “Where? Here?” Steve rubs the omega’s belly. They've mated for hours. Steve thought they’d get at least a full hour before Bucky would need more.

                “Yes there.” Bucky moans. “Inside there! Make it stop! Please Stevie, Baby? Alpha? I need you.” Bucky bares the side of his neck with their bonding mark on it.

                Steve takes his hand off Bucky and runs his fingers through his damp hair. Steve sighs again, this time even longer. He reaches into a drawer built right into the frame of the bed and pulls out Bucky’s collar. The omega whines in anticipation of it when he sees it. The tags jingle together in Steve’s grip.

.oOo.

                Bucky sips bottled water through a straw. He’s almost out. He sets it down on the ground.

                “Did you finish?” His mate rumbles behind him. Steve pets his back while he waits for him to respond. Bucky looks over his shoulder. His tags click together. He’s even less coherent that he already was. His eyes are unfocused and dark like earlier but now he’s reached a whole new level of submissiveness.

                “As much as I could.” Bucky nods. Steve bends down and kisses his mate between the shoulder blades.

                “That’s my good Buck.” Steve adjusts Bucky’s hips in his lap and slowly starts to withdraw his cock out of his mate’s body. The best way to get Bucky to eat and drink is currently to bribe him with thrusting. He wouldn’t do it at all unless Steve agreed to be balls deep in him during it. When Bucky finishes however much food or water he bargained for, Steve rewards him by making him feel good.

                “Oh!” Bucky grips onto the sheets as Steve slowly works himself in and out of him.

.oOo.

                It takes a long time to get Bucky to eat his dinner, get cleaned up again, and finally ready for some sleep. Once he’s down Steve curls around him and practically goes into a coma from exhaustion. He may be a super soldier but even he has a physical limit.

.oOo.

                Day two starts with Bucky choking down his mate’s morning wood like a pro. He swallows all of Steve’s come this time. After that is 'Breakfast: Continued' with Steve bargaining for Bucky’s compliance again. The rest of the day is spent having sex with intermittent rounds of den cleanup, washing Bucky, napping when possible, and the occasional fight over more sex.  By the end of the day Bucky is still horny but exhausted.

                They’ve taken Bucky’s collar off so he can think a little better. The omega lies on his side while Steve uses his fingers to massage the glands inside him with ointment. It’s a soothing balm that decreases sensitivity and provides relief from the itching sensation Bucky gets when he’s not being thrust into. It feels like a godsend on his sore body. He’s been fucked so many times that he’s becoming almost pained by intercourse now. His brain and ass still insist on it even though the ass is starting to feel the side effects. His skin is chaffed around his thighs and buttocks. His slick stings it. Steve already applied alo vera to those irritated areas before he moved on to the glands inside him. It’s hard to apply the ointment while Bucky keeps slicking up his fingers. It still feels good for the omega so he keeps it up.  

                “Hey Stevie?” Bucky looks over his shoulder.

                “Huh?” Steve applies more ointment to his fingers then smooths it around the omega’s tender, puffy rim.

                “Do you think I’ve been fertilized yet?” Bucky looks wide eyed. In his rush to get relief from his heat he forgot about the ‘baby making’ part of it. Steve pauses.

                “Um, that’s…” Steve clears his throat. “Possible.”

                “You mean ‘pretty much certainly’. You’ve probably put a quart of semen in me already.”

                “That’s an exaggeration.” Steve shakes his head.

                “You’ve seen what comes out of me during bath time right?” Bucky raises an eyebrow. Steve blushes deeply. He turns redder than usual due to a higher than normal volume of blood in his body. An alpha’s blood volume increases during rut to make it easier to get and stay erect.

                “Yes I have. You’re still exaggerating.” Steve kisses his omega’s hip. Bucky smirks and sets his head back down. “And maybe you have been but you’re not technically pregnant yet. The egg’s still gotta implant first.”

                “Yeah I know. I read the same pregnancy books as you did.” Bucky huffs then decompresses. “It’s just weird to think about doing it intentionally this time.”

                “I haven’t been thinking about it, honestly.” Steve finishes up with the ointment and wipes his hands on a towel. “Does that mean we haven’t done it intentionally?” Steve asks as he settles in behind Bucky. The omega chuckles.

                “Are you asking me to ‘Do It’ like we’re trying to get me pregnant?” Bucky turns over so he’s facing Steve. Steve is avoiding eye contact and blushing hard again. He may actually be getting hard over the thought. He’s in rut, it’s to be expected.

                “Wouldn’t hurt.” Steve mumbles.

                “It would right now. We’ll do it in the morning.” Bucky nuzzles under Steve’s chin and takes a deep whiff of his alpha’s scent. He sighs contentedly.

                Steve pauses then he swallows the extra saliva building up. This is going to be interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my god that was hard to write! Wow. I just. Ugh I have had so much homework and stress and relationship problems that writing Fluffzilla fanfiction has been difficult. I'm exhausted. I'm still going to write that museum scene. it will probably come up next chapter which will be with the people not have sex half of the day or more. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	61. Chapter 61

              Detectives Jonathan Fine and his partner Detective Elisabeth Huart have been working together for a long time. Neither of them had ever been called in to investigate anything in a museum before. The department is pretty stumped on this break in it seems.

              “So what exactly happened and why is it being kept so hush, hush?” Detective Fine asks. He hasn’t even formally been told if anything has been taken. All he knows is what the rumors are. Elisabeth holds some yellow tape up for him to duck under as they enter the ‘crime scene’.

              “Looks like a robbery. Sort of…” Elisabeth frowns. A person from CSI comes up and gives them both gloves.

              “You are not going to believe how much semen we’ve found.” The guy shakes his head. His name is Santiago Lopez, they’ve worked with him before.

              Jonathan glances at Elisabeth. “How much semen _have_ you found?” He asks.

              “Like a lot! A LOT, lot. Somebody had a fucking orgy in here or else I don’t know what. No human should be able to ejaculate that much.”

              “So is this a break in or a sex thing?” Elisabeth asks, looking between the two men. “And if it is a sex thing, why The Captain America exhibit?”

              “They did take stuff so maybe it’s not totally any one thing.” Jonathan kicks at some of the broken Plexiglas. “And lots of people have Cap fetishes I guess.”

              “So what then? They stole Steve Rogers’ sweater from his mom so they could jack-off all over it whenever they like? Sick.” Elisabeth eyeballs the intact display cases in the exhibit.

              “Wait if you have all that semen, you're running it for DNA right?” Jonathan asks.

              “Yep.” The CSI guy nods. “We already sent it to the lab.”

              “And the security footage?”

              “That we do not have. It’s gone. I can’t explain it.” The CSI guy shrugs. “They didn’t even break into that part of the museum.”

              “So we’ve got high tech, orgy loving, Captain America fetishist thieves?” Elisabeth looks disbelievingly at the group. “Thieves who stole medical records and a sweater but none of the other far more valuable things here? The original prototypes for Cap’s shield are right over there. If they were going to steal something valuable those should have been it.”

              “How much are Cap’s pre-war medical records worth?” Jonathan asks.

              “I think the full set is considered priceless.” One of the CSI guys, who is not Santiago, pipes up.

              “So are those prototypes though, right?” Elisabeth checks.

              “Yeah, definitely.” The guy nods vigorously and goes back to his work.

              “So is this a sex thing, a burglary, or what?” Jonathan asks while rubbing his forehead.

              “Let’s wait for those DNA tests to come back and then ask the fuckers.” Elisabeth suggests.

              “Nice pun.” Her partner snorts.

              “Thanks, I tried.”

.oOo.

              They’ve been having a problem with people trying to sneak into the tower. More so than usual. These aren’t evil no-goods, they’re just regular no-goods. They're paparazzi and journalists alike, all looking for the picture that will make their career and ensure their immediate promotion to whatever job they fancy at their respective media giant. Clint and Natasha have had it. Clint wanted to shoot them with tranquilizer darts and push them into the streets. Natasha thought that was a marvelous idea but Tony insisted he had something better.

              Tony hands Barton an unusual looking arrow. The shaft is eighty cm long and it has a strange electronic device just below the fletching. “Shoot those around the perimeter.” Tony crosses his arms looking satisfied.

              “Why not just stick them in the ground?” Sasha asks from the couch where she wrestles with her baby brother. Her twin is looking at articles about them on his Starkpad.

              “Because that would mean going outside and we are not giving those parasites the satisfaction.” Tony tells her.

              Billy gets a good footing and tosses Sasha off the couch onto the floor. He thrusts his fists into the air and roars. Very alpha.

              “Oh no you don’t!” Sasha attacks him and pins him down. They play-growl at each other and giggle. The adults are more interested in the arrow design, although Nat and Barton glance over to make sure the WWF stars aren’t being too rough.

              “This is an awkward thing to shoot. I’m going to have to use something special.” Clint has a delighted gleam in his eye.

              “Go crazy.” Natasha says as she walks over and sits down next to Jamie to see what he’s looking at. She frowns immediately.

**Hidden Away! Captain America Keeps His Children From The World!**

              She quickly reads through the article which indirectly accuses her friends of child abuse. One line strikes her as particularly concerning.

**“What kind of life can these children be living if they’ve been hidden away like this? Have they ever been free?”**

              Natasha hits the power button to turn off the Starkpad. Jamie looks up, alarmed.

             “Why’d you do that?” He says with a scowl.

             “Because you shouldn’t be reading that trash. They’re just spewing lies and theories to try and satisfy curiosity. You live an incredibly full life as your parent’s son. Most kids only dream about all of the things you do. Why should it matter if you can’t use your real name? Names are overrated.”

              Jamie looks down at the black screen. “I wasn’t really reading it. I still can’t do that so well. I just got done with the title.”

             “Oh.” Of course! Natasha mentally slaps herself. She knew about Jamie’s reading struggles. She only ever seems to mess up like this when Bucky and his family are involved. “Well then why were you looking up articles?”

              Jamie shrugs. “Just… trying.”

             Clint comes back with an antique, six foot tall, Japanese, recurve bow and a mad look in his eye.

             “I have always wanted an excuse to use this thing practically.”

             “Did you just get that off the wall?” Natasha looks concerned.

             “Yes I did. I don’t have anything else that would fire that.”

             “Are you sure you couldn’t just fly around with the Iron Man suit?” Sasha asks Tony skeptically. “This seems like one of my daddy’s ideas.”

             “By that she means a bad one.” Jamie rolls his eyes.

             “Yeah but the funny thing about your dad’s bad ideas is: they always work.”

.oOo.

             They sit out on the balcony with popcorn and binoculars for people who are not Hawkeye. The number of people gathered around the entrance is down to almost nothing. A woman in a business suit approaches. She isn’t one of Tony’s employees.

             “ _I’ve confirmed that she is a journalist for a trash magazine, sir._ ” JARVIS informs them.

             “Activate perimeter control.” Tony authorizes.

              “Three, two, one.” Natasha counts down.

             The woman gets snapped with a powerful bolt of electricity from the electric fence Clint just installed. It’s got about the same intensity as a large dog’s electric fence. It gets the point across. The woman jolts and scrambles backwards. Sometimes it take people a few times to realize they were just electrocuted. The really determined ones pace the perimeter looking for weak spots. Those people get shocked up to about ten times before they call it quits. Natasha admires their diligence even if she hates their motives. What kind of person would put on a disguise and try to talk their way into a position where they might potentially bombard children with rude questions about their family and take a few nonconsensual photos? ...Other than a spy doing it for intelligence work. It’s still in bad taste. It’s one thing to do it to an adult but it's something else entirely when the target is kids. Especially the kids Natasha loves like they are her siblings.

              “What if we hit somebody with a pace maker?” Jamie asks as he watches the angry woman stomp away.

              “JARVIS can sense pace makers, he’ll tell us and security so they won’t get zapped.”

              “What do you want to do today?” Clint asks as he shovels popcorn into his face.

              “I don’t know.” Sasha shrugs.

              “Meh!” Billy whines. “Mommy?” He asks. He’s been particularly upset that his mother has been absent.

              “I’m sorry Buddy.” Clint picks him up. “Mommy’s not feeling so good. You can see him right now.”

              “No!” Billy flops his face into Clint’s shoulder dramatically. “Mommy!” He cries.

              “Awww.” Clint rocks him. “Poor little guy I know you miss him. Gotta be missin those sweet omega pheromones too. You were high as balls the other day.” Clint continues to sooth him by holding him. He knows just how to calm the baby down, he’s been doing it since he was born.

              “Don’t look at me. I’m in menopause.” Tony says bitterly. “But on the upside I can grow hair like no one’s business. So if he needs help with that let me know.”

              “What’s menopause?” Sasha asks curiously.

              "An awful end to a semi-awful era.” Tony grumps.

              “You really shouldn’t complain, Tony. What’s happening to you is a natural, normal thing.” Natasha smiles wickedly. “You’re an aging omega. It happens to you all.” She says mockingly.

               “You’re rather smug for a female. This is you down the line too my good lady.” Tony fires back, eyebrow raised. Clint winces, knowing where this is going.

               “Oh, Tony...” She shakes her head. “I had my testes removed before I started puberty and my ovaries removed just after I finished. I went into menopause when I was fifteen. That is, if that is what you consider what Red Room made it into.”

               Natasha and Sasha both smirk triumphantly at Tony. Sasha loves it when Natasha floors people like that, even if she doesn’t fully understand the gravity of what Natasha just said. Jamie and Clint look more appropriately disturbed. Clint nudges Nat’s shoulder with his.

               “Nat, cool it before this becomes a day dedicated to explaining puberty and medical experimentation.” Clint chides. “You know how happy Bucky’d be if that happened.” He says more quietly.

                “I know.” She says softly. “So then. Billy wants an omega, let’s go see Darcy.”

.oOo.

                Detective Fine is filling out paperwork when a man in an Armani suit walks into his office. Jonathan looks up. “Are you a lawyer?”

                “No, not really.” Agent Coulson says with a polite smile. “I’m just coming here to tell you that report won’t be necessary. The museum and the owner of the collection have decided to not press charges.”

                “Oh.” Jonathan lets that sink in. “Can I ask why?”

                “It’s personal.” Coulson sets a black leather bag with handles down on Detective Fine’s desk. He pulls out the freshly cleaned, faded blue sweater knitted by Sarah Rogers and sets it on the desk. Next he pulls out a file with the stolen medical records inside. “These are to go back to the museum you understand.”

                “No…no I really don’t.” Jonathan taps the end of his pen on the desk. “Are you a representative from the thieves?”

                “First off, they are not thieves.” He says just a hint more aggressively. “Secondly, that I am. My friends are horribly sorry for all the trouble this has caused and request that as little information as possible be shared with the public. If you do not make sure this wish is fulfilled, I will personally make sure of it myself.” Coulson smiles politely. “Good day.” Coulson leaves swiftly without another word. Detective Jonathan Fine’s mouth hangs open as he watches the senior SHIELD agent leave, not realizing the depth of the shit he is currently in.

                Elisabeth comes running down the hall to Jonathan’s office. She braces herself against the door. “The DNA results came back! They’re fucking classified! They didn’t even have an agency attached to them or anything! We got an e-mail right after the results came back saying that an agent would come speak with us. What the fuck?!”

                Jonathan looks at the sticky note attached to the sweater then looks at the medical records next to it. He picks up the note and looks back and forth between the hand written forms and the single word on the yellow note. The uppercase ‘S’ in ‘Sorry’ perfectly matches the ‘S’ where Steve Rogers has written his name on the form. The lowercase ‘o’ and ‘r’ also look eerily similar. Jonathan thinks about the calm little smile of the man that just left his office.

                “No fuckin clue.” He says with a shrug.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Feed me comments, for I am of little motivation and I have much too much work to do.


	62. Chapter 62

                “Stevie?”

                “Steve?” Steve feels his shoulder being shaken. He slowly opens the eye that is not in contact with the pillow. “Steve.” Bucky nuzzles into his neck enthusiastically. He seems to be trying to crawl between Steve and the bed. Steve is still not really awake. He rolls over onto his back and throws his forearm over his eyes.

                “Bucky, what? It’s really early, I’m tired.” Steve gripes. He feels like he’s only been asleep for a few minutes. He’s actually been down for hours. His serum is simply using so much energy to fix up his tired body that his tired brain is just getting further exhausted from the energy being diverted.

                “It’s not early! Now wake the fuck up already!” Bucky growls irately.

                Steve’s eyes snap open. Bucky is perched on his chest with his hands sweetly folded under his chin. He smiles at Steve but his eyes look foggy. The voice and the face don’t match.

                “Jesus, Buck.” Steve rubs his eyes. “You doing okay?”

                Bucky frowns. “I don’t know, am I?” Bucky asks accusingly. Steve has no idea what he’s talking about.

                “What? I just woke up how should I know?” Steve scrubs his face with his hands. He can’t even smell yet he’s so drowsy.

                “No!” Bucky howls. He punches Steve right in the left pectoral. It feels like getting hit with a sledge hammer. Steve wheezes and slowly rolls back onto his side. He silently begs God for forgiveness for whatever he did to deserve being woken up like this while he cradles his poor boob.

                Unfortunately Bucky isn’t done. “Stop lying to me!” Bucky grabs Steve by the shoulders and pulls him past the curtain, off the bed, then drops him on floor outside of their den. Bucky retreats back behind the thin fabric wall and curls up in his dirty sheets. He eyes Steve through the crack in the curtain. Sweat drips down his forehead while he breathes raggedly.

                Steve slowly sits up with an arm raised to defend himself if necessary. “Okay, Buck. I don’t know what this is but I’ve officially seen enough of it. What the hell are you doing?!” Steve says angrily. He’s got every right to be, he’s been kicked out of his own den for no damn reason.

                “What the hell were _you_ doing, Steve!?” Bucky sneers.

                “Stop acting like this! I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Steve pulls the curtain open so he can look at his mate in the dark little nook. Bucky hisses and pulls it closed again.

                “I was a mess when I woke up!” Bucky snaps.

                Steve tries to figure out what the hell that means. The first thing that comes to mind is that he was hurt. “You were a mess? Like what kind of mess?” Steve gingerly peels back the curtain just enough to peek inside from an arm’s length away.

                Bucky moves around and then pushes a balled up sheet out through the part Steve created. Steve takes the sheets uncertainly before straightening it out so he can examine it.

                “Oh…” Steve blinks bewilderedly at the huge white, wet stain on the sheet. “Where did this come from?” The sheet has a roughly square foot area coated with Bucky’s lubricant and come that leaked out with it. Thick globs of semen stick to the shiny wet spot in patches.

                Bucky sniffles on the other side of the curtain. “Me. I woke up and it was everywhere.” He’s trembling all over now, tingling too. 

                “Oh…” Steve repeats. “You really… damn.” He swallows. His mouth is watering uncontrollably. He’s been erect since he woke, he feels uncomfortably hard now.

                “Don’t be impressed you asshole! What did you do to me!?” Bucky yells in distress. Steve’s aroused scent is getting to him. A pulse of heat travels through his veins to his gut. He grabs a pillow and shoves it between his legs. He whines at the wetness already there.

                “Buck, I haven’t done anything!” Steve insists. He peeks through the curtain. “You think I did something to you?”

                “You-!” Bucky hisses and closes the curtain again. “You must have! I’ve never done that before once in my life!” Bucky snaps. He’s sounding less certain though, so Steve counts that as a small victory. Whether it’s him or Bucky’s heat that’s winning is a crapshoot at the moment.

                “I-! What are you accusing me of here?!” Steve pulls back the curtain again. This time Bucky sticks his head through, snarling.

                “Did you fuck me in my sleep!?”

                “No!” Steve exclaims like that is the most ridiculous thing ever. “Why would I do that!?”

                “I don’t know!” Bucky yells at him as he blushes crimson. “Why else would I slick up that much? I even slicked your damn spunk outa me! What the fuck!?”

                Steve stares at him for a good solid thirty seconds before he can’t take it. He snorts and tips his head back to laugh hysterically. It takes him a few moments to compose himself enough to talk, all the while Bucky becomes more and more offended.

                “I’m sorry! You-!” Steve puts a hand over his eyes. “You came so much that you thought I musta-!” Steve cracks up. Bucky pales. “Woulda woken you up don’t yah think?” Steve howls.

                “I-! You had to have!” Bucky shakes. “I’ve never done that like _that_ before!” He backpedals in embarrassment so that he’s on the other side of the curtain again. It’s not unusual for Bucky to slick in his sleep a little, especially during heat or after rough sex. It’s the sheer volume of slick this time that’s alarming. “Maybe you just rubbed on me the right way or touched my neck or- mmm or-! Mmmmm…!” Bucky collapses onto his side and starts moaning obscenely.

                “Bucky?” Steve wipes his eyes and composes himself a little better. He sticks his head through the curtain. “Baby, what’s goin on?”

                “FUCKING HEAT!” Bucky screams at him. Steve pulls his head out of the curtain in fear of the consequences.

                “Okay then.” Steve clears his throat and sits down to wait to be invited back into the den.

                Bucky pants while he clenches and unclenches everywhere. He thrusts two fingers into himself and discovers he could easily take four, so he adds two more and reaches for his spots. He groans into the sheets as he tries to get some relief. Steve scents the air, then he opens his mouth and takes a deep breath that way. He closes his eyes and concentrates on the taste of that wonderful smell. Bucky whines for his alpha. “Baby!” He yips. He takes a few loud, desperate breaths. “Come back!” He pleads pathetically.  

                The alpha crawls up onto their bed like a panther. He slips through the curtain and pauses to admire his mate. He has his ass up in the air with most of his hand inside himself. Bucky bites his lower lip while he huffs. Steve crosses his arms and smiles.

                “You know what it was?” He asks rhetorically because Bucky can’t speak or think so well now. Steve purrs deeply with every breath. Bucky closes his eyes and shakes his head while he works his fingers in himself. “Do you want your collar?” Steve grabs it and holds it out to Bucky. Bucky nods affirmatively and outstretches his neck for Steve to put it on him. Steve runs the thick leather under his neck in one smooth motion. Bucky’s hair stands on end and he whines. “It’s because…” He fastens the collar. “Does that feel good?”

                “Ye-e-e-es!” Bucky sobs. “Please, Stevie! Please!” He snaps his hips into his pillow and spreads his stance.

                “Shhh.” Steve strokes him from his shoulder to his hip. “It’s okay. I love you, Buck.”

                Bucky nods and tries to sink up his hand’s movements with how Steve teases him. It’s no good he can’t do it the way his mate can. Bucky screeches in frustration and pulls his hand out of himself. He balls his slicked up fingers together and slams the fist into the mattress. “Help.” He asks Steve breathily. He sounds defeated. Steve continues to stroke him into as close to calm as he can get him. He kisses Bucky’s shoulder as he shifts around him.

                “I know. I will. I promise.” Steve kisses the V on his mate’s lower back. Bucky shivers. The hands of The Weapon grips into the sheets tightly.

                “You were gonna tell me why?” Bucky moans.

                Steve kisses him a few more times before he answers. “You got all worked up because we talked about breeding you properly.” Steve says softly in his low rumble while he pulls the pillow away from Bucky’s thighs. Bucky keens and then begins to whimper desperately like he will die in an instant if he it’s bred immediately. Steve tugs on his collar to get him to stop that before he hurts himself. “Be good.” Steve’s hard dick presses up against the cleft of Bucky’s ass while Steve is leaned over him. Steve wraps one arm around Bucky’s middle. Bucky grabs it with his opposite hand and presses it palm down to his solid abdominal muscles. Steve kisses Bucky’s ear. Bucky turns his head so he faces Steve. Their noses touch. “Do you want me to put a pu-baby inside you?” Steve asks, now a little desperate himself.

                Bucky’s eyes are huge and unfocused but some part of his mind is still sharp enough to notice the little slip. “You said ‘pup’. Nobody calls’em ‘pups’ anymore. We ain’t animals, Stevie.” Bucky brushes their noses together affectionately. He pushes his rear back against Steve’s shaft.

                “You sure about that?” Steve growls, his voice is dripping with want. He shifts their hips together so that he can align his cock with his mate’s weeping hole.

                Bucky shakes his head into the sheets and chuckles, high on hormones. “No.”

                Steve smirks and spreads his mate’s cheeks. He’s gaping from his hand and his natural heat-induced readiness. The alpha lines himself up and groans as he thrusts in.

                “Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah! Ah!” Bucky’s cries get higher pitched every time. When Steve bottoms out he makes nothing more than a whispered squeak. “I love you.” He adds after his final breathless noise. Steve rumbles and nuzzles him between the shoulder blades like a nod in response. He pauses to rub his fingers over his mate’s flat stomach before he sits up and takes hold of Bucky’s hips.

                He pulls out slowly at first before thrusting back inside forcefully. He pauses just a second to really let Bucky feel each individual hard thrust. Bucky cries out and clenches down with every single one.

                “Want you to give me another baby. You’re such a good mother, Buck. You’re so good to our kids.” Steve huffs out as he thrusts. He groans as he tries to stay consistent.

                “I’ll do it for you. I don’t care how uncomfortable I’ll be. It’s worth it to see how-uh- happy you are! AHhhhie!” Bucky shrieks suddenly when Steve hit’s his prostate. He shakes his head, his tags jingle together.

                “Sounds like heaven.” Steve growls pleasurably.

                “Feels like it!” Bucky sobs into the sheets.

                “Want faster?”

                “Good God! Fuck me raw! Want you to screw me until I can’t move!” Bucky whines in one long burst.

                “Fuck!” Steve doubles his pace. It’s frantic and brutal and precisely what Bucky asked for. “Come so deep in you!” His knot is swelling in preparation for just that.

                Bucky bites his lip until he breaks the skin. His knees rise and fall off the bed. He holds his breath then gasps for air over and over. Sweat pours down his brow and drips off his chin. His whole body shines with it. “More! More! More!” The omega cries.

                Steve presses himself flush to his mate’s back. His thrusts are short but still powerful and right into Bucky’s prostate. “You can’t take it.” Steve hisses into Bucky’s ear. It’s a challenge, he knows he can.

                Bucky can barely form words as tears drip down his cheeks right along with the sweat. It’s so intense he’s forgotten to exhale. Steve slows down and strokes Bucky’s back.

                “Gotta breathe.” Steve instructs. He intentionally avoids Bucky’s prostate by pushing in deeper to his full depth of penetration. Bucky gasps. The way his body is arched still gets Steve rubbing that spot but not with the intensity of Steve thrusting into it.

                “I can breathe. Want it hard as you can give it.” Steve wraps his arms around Bucky’s middle and kisses his nape.

                “Don’t wanna hurt you.” Steve mumbles.

                “Only feel pleasure right now!” Bucky gasps. The breathing thing is still a conscious action.

                “Up on all fours.” Steve instructs. Bucky does so even though his elbows shake. He takes short little breaths as Steve straightens up on his knees behind him. He gives his omega’s behind a light swat. Bucky yelps and twitches then moans in delight. “Ready?”

                “Oh yes!” Bucky hangs his head.

                Steve pounds into him right to the spot just south of his cervix. He doesn’t hurt him by ramming him straight on. He’s careful but so damn powerful that the thrusts jar Bucky’s whole Body back and forth. The bed creaks in protest as it rocks against the wall. Bucky’s head bobs with the movement. It’s so careless and uncontrolled that it concerns his mate. He grabs Bucky’s hair and pulls to steady it. Bucky screams in ecstasy. Steve shudders at the sound. His mate has gone mindless with pleasure. Bucky’s engorged penis shoots a stream of thick come onto the sheets. He didn’t touch himself once.

                Steve’s knot is still getting larger. The looser Bucky is the more he’ll swell. In his current fucked open state, Bucky’s a tough hole to fill but if anyone is going to do it, it’s Steve. His knot finally catches once it feels like it’s the size of a fist.

                “Stevie! Stevie! Steve! OH! Steve!” Bucky screams in rhythm with Steve’s thrusts.

                Steve thunders in response and finishes with one final hard jab. The force of it knocks Bucky down with Steve pressed over the top of him like a heavy blanket. Bucky cries out as he comes right along with his mate. His hips jerk forward spastically. Steve’s come bathes Bucky’s cervix in waves. The head of the alphas cock rubs against it just right like this. Bucky whimpers out of reflex and sighs contently. It takes a while for their brains to reset after that. Steve takes off Bucky's collar and spends that time kissing and nipping Bucky’s bond bite.

                “We came at the same time.” Bucky says hoarsely. He turns his head to the side to look at Steve the best he can like this.

                “We did.” Steve’s rumble is particularly gravelly as well.

                “Think that’s good luck?”

                “Probably.” Steve chuckles. He somehow doubts they’ll need it. Bucky’s body is still occasionally contracting around him. Bucky makes this blissed out ‘o’ face every time. He’s having aftershocks. Steve grunts when one of them is particularly strong. Bucky grips onto the sheets and takes a strangled breath. “You’re still orgasming?” He kisses Bucky’s cheek.

                “Yeah.” Bucky smiles hazily. “Good fuck.”

                “Good doesn’t do it justice.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wooo! Wow. Okay that was the last of the heat sex scenes I'm going to write (for this XD). Mother fucker. Oh hey! So... you've never heard anyone in this fic refer to babies as pups before. Well that's because it's kind of a dirty word. There was a time when it was a common thing and then the Victorian era came around and then everyone was all, "No we are not animals and should not call our young a term for animals!" So it became uncommon. Very few people still use it in the 21st century. It's slang that Steve and Bucky would have heard on occasion down at the docks. I'm trying to think of a work that's treated in the same way as being both vulgar, uncommon, yet still sweet. It's okay if you call your own baby a pup but you wouldn't want somebody else to do it. These little world building bits are going on a list that I will post on my tumblr as sort of a 'manifest of Trollop ABO'. It's got some old and some new things. I'll tell you when I slap it up. Digging the comments btw! You guys are so awesome. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	63. Chapter 63

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: VIOLENT DEATH

                “Rick, an employee of SHIELD and brilliant scientist, is currently tied to a chair with cinderblocks strapped to it. This in itself is not so terrifying. Unfortunately for Rick, he’s about to wake up and discover that he’s been kidnapped for questioning by Victor Von Doom.” Victor Von Doom narrates as his captive slowly comes out of a drug induced sleep.

                They are in the middle of the woods in no distinct location. Rick could tell you that wherever they are is not in North America based on the flora around him. A few meters away from them is Rick’s new car, purchased just last month to celebrate getting a substantial monetary gift for his good work on behalf of the Rogers family. Rick is the scientist that discovered Billy’s abnormal healing ability.

                 Rick looks up at his captor fearing the worst. He swallows when he sees that it’s as he feared. He looks back down at his knees rather than face the man he is certain is going to kill him.

                 “Oh come on, don’t be like that! This doesn’t have to be necessarily unpleasant. You are going to die of course but that death could be quick and simple or unimaginably agonizing.” Victor shrugs and crosses one leg over the other. He’s sitting on a chair of his own. Next to him is a knapsack with his lunch in it. He was just eating a BLT.

                 “I don’t know why you did this to me. I’m nobody.” Rick says with his head hung low. “I run tests in a lab, that’s it.”

                 “You really don’t give yourself enough credit. You run very interesting tests for very important people. People like Captain America.”

                 “I didn’t run any tests for him.” Rick swallows down the urge to vomit.

                 “I know you did Rick, let’s not do that dance. You ran a series of tests on him and his son. The littlest one.”

                 “How could you possibly know that?” Rick asks hopelessly. Maybe if he can get Doom to gloat (like he so loves) he can buy a few more seconds in this world. He knows nobody's coming for him. He’s only buying time for the sake of having it. He’s a disposable worker for SHIELD. His absence probably hasn’t even been noticed yet.

                 “One of my Doom bots got taken back to SHIELD and analyzed. It undetectably broke into the security system and got ahold of everything R and D is working on right now. That included your little pet project. But you don’t keep very good notes. That’s not very good science. What is it exactly that you found that was so important to omit from any formal documents?” Doom leans in.

                 “No point in telling. I’m already dead.” Rick shakes his head.

                “Classic threat of death paradox. ‘You’re going to kill me anyway, so why talk?’ I’ve had this problem a few times before, comes with the business.” Doom stands up and walks over to the new car. He opens the door to the driver’s seat. Rick starts sobbing. In the front seat of the car is Rick’s mother, bound and gagged. Next to her is Rick’s father and in the back seat is his little sister. They’ve all been coated with oil. Doom reaches in his cape and pulls out a flare. He walks back over to Rick and taps him on the head with it.

                “Always threaten the loved ones. You see, I can’t let them go because they now know that we’ve had this conversation. But you still have a choice to make for them. Either A: You can not tell me about the Rogers child and I will set them on fire so you can watch them burn alive. Or B: You can tell me what I want to know and then I will take them on the five mile drive from here to my country’s finest prison. They will live in all the comfort one would expect of prison life, but they will live. I think the most important part is they won’t die horribly, really.” Doom pauses to sit down in his chair. “And if you can’t make up your mind I’ll light your hand on fire so you can see how it feels.” He titters. “First hand.”

                “Doesn’t matter if I do tell.” Rick looks up at him, tears streak down his face. “You won’t best Captain Rogers and The Winter Soldier. No matter what, you’re going to lose eventually.” He says determinedly.

                “The lovely thing about my plan is I’m not the one who will have the baby when the old fist of Hydra comes down. I also think keeping the kid is a shit idea, which I why I won’t be doing it.” Doom scratches his forehead. “You were saying about the baby.”

                “Good luck with that!” Rick spits. “He’s got one of the best healing factors we’ve ever seen. Whatever you’re going to do to him is going to roll off him like water off a duck!”

                “So he’s invulnerable?”

                “He could be.”

                “Great, sounds expensive.” Doom stands up with a big fake smile on his face. “Was that so hard?”

                “You-!” Rick yells but the sound dies with Rick when Victor Von Doom claps his hands together with his head in between. His skull fractures instantly into small pieces that run red with mushy brain tissue and blood. Doom shakes the brain matter off his hands with a sneer. The people in the car are screaming.

                “Oh stop! You’re lucky I’m sending you to prison. Don’t make me change my mind.” He thrusts his hand in the air and closes the car door without touching it. Their noise is sealed inside the closed car. Doom awkwardly takes out his cell phone out of his cape. It’s hard to do with brain covered gloves. He gives up and eventually gets one glove off so he can hold the phone up to his ear without making a mess. He hits recent calls.

                “Strucker.” Victor greets when the call goes through.

                “ _That’s Baron Wolfgang Von Strucker to you_.”

                “When did we become so distant?” Victor wipes his gloves off on a tree one at a time before he realizes he brought napkins with his lunch.

                “ _After you sold me sixty million dollars of useless trash!_ ” The current leader of Hydra hisses through the phone connection. Victor kicks over his bag so that he doesn’t have to handle it with his dirty gloves. The napkins spill out, he picks one up and starts cleaning with it. He sighs.

                “You were the one who wanted to keep your target a ‘secret’. Not that it wasn’t predictable. If you’d just asked for a little tactical advice I might have-.”

                “ _Tactical advice! Do you have any idea how many battles I have won!? How many wars I’ve fought in? How dare you insult me like this!”_

                “I don’t know Baron, how many have you won?” Victor sits down in his chair and digs out the Tupperware container with his sandwich in it. “Zero right? The Nazi’s won zero?” He says while trying not to laugh.

                “ _I can hear you laughing._ ”

                “I’m not laughing. I was honestly uncertain. Weren’t you trying to use my time machine to change history and you _still_ couldn’t do it?”

                “ _You’re an asshole, Doom. What do you want?_ ”

                “I think I’ve found a way to get back in your good graces and all it’s going to cost you is sixty of your best fighters and funding my ‘projects’ for the next ten years.” Doom takes a bite of his sandwich.

                “This had better be exceptional.”

                “How does a brand new, invulnerable, highly suggestable Winter Soldier sound?”

                “…Continue.”

.oOo.

                Billy burbles into Darcy’s chest. They’ve already taken dozens of pictures to show him when he’s older. Billy motor boating Darcy is the highlight of the fourth day the twins have spent with her. Darcy is a great person to lounge around with. Everyone got their nails painted. Everyone. Clint demanded his usual purple with black tips, Jamie wanted orange with the little stick on jewels, Billy has lovely turquois toesies, Sasha and Natasha had to be held down while Darcy worked. They hate nail polish.

               They invited the twins’ friends over and had a little party one day. They are still recovering from the sugar coma. Clint actually threw up. Natasha wisely abstained from eating the sugar covered, sugar treats. The kids have been eating carrots and celery for the last day and gag when they see cookies.

.oOo.

                Bucky sits up in bed suddenly. Something is wrong. Something is horribly, horribly wrong. He gets up in search of clothes.

                “Bucky?” Steve croaks as he wakes up. “What’s going on?” Bucky rummages through a cabinet in the bathroom.

                “Wake up Steve. Heat’s over.” Bucky pulls on a robe and ties it off. “I gotta go check on the kids. We need to talk tactics and come up with some new disaster scenario protocols. Three of my old ones are now obsolete. They need to be updated.”

                “So I guess this means The Winter Soldier is back?” Steve sits up and scratches his head.

                “I’m back Steve. All of me.” Bucky says as he briefly lingers in the doorway. Steve smiles at him.

                “I know. Wouldn’t have you any other way, Buck.” Steve shakes his head. Buck is about to go but Steve starts talking again. “Before you go… do your thing.” He says bashfully. “Do you think you’re…?” Steve nods downward. Bucky puts a hand over the knot in his robe.

                “I don’t want to assume anything.” Bucky says softly. He hurries off with a small, private smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my lord you guys are going to hate me. I have decided that rather than ending at my original intended point(here XD), I am going to cut this off in about five to ten chapters and then make this thing part one of two. You guys are going to despise me soooooo much but you won't want to stop reading because I'll make it hurt good. It will all be okay I promise. But still, yeah not pretty. *Cackles maniacally as I ride away on my broom* 
> 
> But I posted that thing on my tumblr!  
> http://thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com/post/112516332079/the-world-of-a-b-o-facts-of-the-trollops  
> Some old, some new. Comment here, leave me some kind of mail on tumblr, talk dirty to me, I don't care I like to hear from you.  
> -The Trollop


	64. Chapter 64

                Bucky takes a deep breath and pushes his hair out of his eyes. The anxiety is boiling inside him already. Whatever Charles did wore off on it’s own. Maybe he added some kind of time release. Psychics. He doesn’t trust them. He walks out into the common room with a big smile on his face. His kids are all there and accounted for. Barton has Billy on the couch playing with dinosaur figurines and Sasha and Jamie are on the ground playing Mario kart. Natasha is sitting on another couch cleaning her pistols. A second, probably loaded, set sits next to her just in case something happens while she’s cleaning the first set. The Winter Soldier approves of her caution.

“Mommy!” The twins yell in delight when they see him. He took a shower and strapped on every knife imaginable under his clothes. The kids hug onto him expertly. They don’t disturb a single one even when Bucky spins them around and smothers them with a hug.

                “Hi, Sweet Peas.” He kisses the tops of their heads.  He backs off so he can look at them both. He’s checking to see if they’ve received proper nutrition in his absence. He checks their pupils to see if they’ve been drugged. “Open your mouths, please.” The twins do instantly and tip their heads up so Bucky can look. No discoloration, no necrosis, no swelling, or anything to indicate poisoning… or a cold. He looks up and meets eyes with Natasha. He gives her a nod of approval. Under her stoic exterior she swells with pride.

                “One more for you.” Clint brings over his big, flailing baby. Billy is ecstatic. Bucky chuckles.

                “Oh, somebody missed Mommy.” Bucky takes him and snuggles him affectionately. “Hi.” Bucky nuzzles his cheek.

                “Mommy, ah toesies Darcy paint. Murrsu!”

                “What? You missed me?” Bucky beams.

                “Yah!” Billy puts a chubby hand on each of his mother’s cheeks.

                “Mommy they’ve been saying all kinds of bad stuff about you.” Jamie blurts. Sasha looks at him disapprovingly. “What it’s true! It’s all over the news!”

                “I thought you couldn’t read?” Natasha says from the couch. Panic shoots through her. She thought she’d protected them from that.

                “I looked it up on Youtube.” Jamie admits.

                “That’s alright we’ll deal with it.” Bucky says calmly. The calm is feigned for the children’s sake.

                “Where’s Daddy?” Sasha asks, peering behind Bucky.

                “He’s on his way. He’s cleaning up our heat room.” Bucky checks for damage on Billy while he talks.

                “Yuck.” Jamie makes a fake gagging noise. Bucky shakes his head at Jamie and tussles his hair.

                “You have no idea. And that is a good thing.” He hikes Billy up higher on his hip. “Meeting by the counter in five. We’ve got to talk about some stuff now that Mommy can think straight.” He points at Natasha. “You and I need to talk right now.” Natasha raises an eyebrow.

                “Can Clint come too?”

                “Why not? I’m going to need you both for this to have any chance of working.”

                The kids take that as their cue to go wait by the counter. Bucky walks with Natasha and Clint into the hallway. He carries Billy with him. His son plays with his hair and scents his neck to re-familiarize himself with it. Bucky strokes his back while he talks.

                “So, who’s talking shit about me and the kids?” Bucky asks.

                “A lot of people. You want names of companies?”

                “Yeah.” Billy pulls on his earlobe hard enough to hurt. The kid is extremely strong. “Careful Boo Ba. That hurt Mommy.” Bucky kisses his cheek. Billy coos back to him.

Natasha keeps on point. “The Daily Bugle has been the most obnoxious.”

                “Great. We’ll start with them. I need you two to go find me a domestic terrorist. Preferably someone with a history of using explosives.” Bucky tells them as he bounces Billy. Billy giggles.

                “Is that all?” Clint ask sardonically.

                “No, but that’s all I need right now.”

                “I already have someone in mind.” Natasha responds. Clint raises an eyebrow at Nat.

                “Okay…” Clint crosses his arms. “So right now? We’re going to go kidnap this person right away?”

                “That would be best. But if you want, I’ll pack you a lunch first.” Bucky offers. Natasha and Clint wait for him to say he’s joking about the lunch. He doesn’t.

                “Ham and mustard sandwich?” Clint asks suspiciously.

                “You want carrots or chips? Water or soda?” Bucky asks completely straight faced.

                “Um… chips and soda?” Clint chuckles. “Are you being _my_ mommy right now?”

                “Natasha feeds you too much fast food.” Bucky answers as he walks off to go make the food and talk to his older kids. “Natasha do you want your chicken wrap like usual?”

                “Sure.” Natasha sighs.

                “Juice box?” Bucky stops in the doorway to his suite and looks back over his shoulder at her. Billy babbles about ‘oos ox’. Billy loves juice boxes. So does Natasha. She fidgets. Clint grins at her.

                “Apple, if you’ve got it.”

                “Okay.” Bucky nods and keeps going.

.oOo.

                Bucky makes lunch ‘to go’ for Barton and Natasha and ‘for here’ for the kids. He packs Barton and Nat’s lunch in a little cooler. Billy flings applesauce at him. The Weapon blocks the attack with a dish cloth. Billy giggles.

                “Boo Ba!” Sasha scolds playfully. Billy tries to look innocent as he pats the spilled applesauce that is now all over the tray of his high-chair.  

                “You are going to be a sticky baby.” Bucky mumbles. He gets a clean dishcloth and wipes up the mess. He gets a soapy rag to clean up the sticky residue and dries the tray with a paper towel.

                Steve walks in. He’s showered, shaved, and looking casual. The smile he gives Bucky is entirely too dopey to be normal. Natasha is the only one besides Bucky that notes that his usual besotted grin has turned particularly love drunk. His eyes glance down to Bucky’s abdomen for half a second. That’s all Natasha needs to figure it out. As the kids swarm their father excitedly, Natasha stares down Bucky’s middle like something is looking back at her.

                “Daddy what’s CPS?” Jamie asks concernedly. Steve looks down at him in horror.

                “Why do you want to know, Sweet Pea?”

                “There was a newspaper article about us that kept using those letters. Is it a government agency?”

                Steve gapes at Bucky. He can’t fathom a reason why CPS would get involved with their family. They have the most loving, supportive relationship imaginable with their kids. Bucky frowns slightly.

                “That article, was it by The Daily Bugle?”

                “I don’t know.” Jamie answers honestly. “Is this bad?”

                Steve grabs a Starkpad off the coffee table and sits down to look it up.

**Captain America Endangering His Children: CPS Should Intervene!**

**Captain America’s mate sends his children into battle against the villains of the city with no regard for their safety. These children are used like child soldiers for The Captain’s tactical plans. Are we going to allow this kind of blatant child abuse? Those children should be taken away from their dangerous family environment immediately before more damage can be done!**

                The picture featured is a blurry photograph of Bucky slapping Sasha.

                Steve sets down the Starkpad, not believing what he’s seeing. Steve rubs his face with his hands. Sasha and Jamie stand by his sides.

                “I’m sorry.” Jamie says with his head bowed low. “I didn’t mean to make you mad.”

                “Oh Sweet Pea, come here.” Steve scoops both of them up into his arms. They cling onto him appreciatively. “You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s the rest of the world that’s wrong.” He looks over at Bucky where he’s finishing packing the cooler. “Have you heard about this?”

                “Yup.” Bucky hands Barton their cooler. “I’m taking care of it.” Bucky gives his mate a reassuring smile. Steve knows this means bad things are ahead for The Daily Bugle. Oddly, he just doesn’t care.

.oOo.

                The guy from 7/11 walks through the revolving doors in the lobby of The Daily Bugle. He’s wearing a nice suit and black sunglasses. In his right hand he carries a briefcase. No one stops him when he walks into the elevator like he knows where he’s going. He waits until he gets to the top floor. This is the editing room. J. Jonah Jameson’s office is on this floor. The guy from 7/11 pulls the fire alarm next to the elevator and walks away from it calmly. The sprinkler system goes off. Everybody screams and rushes to the stairs to get out. The guy from 7/11 ducks under an abandoned desk and waits. The office evacuates quickly although J. Jonah Jameson has to be dragged away from his desk.

                The guy from 7/11 gets up from under the desk and switches on his com. “Confirmation the building is empty?” He asks his partners in crime.

                “ _Heat signatures show everybody’s out. Fire department ETA is two minutes_.” Natasha reports.

                The guy from 7/11 opens his briefcase and takes out a small electronic device. He points it around the room. It emits a signal that corrupts the files on any hard-drive in the area. It’s a soundless process and not very dramatic. Which is why he brought a bomb.

                “You checked the structural integrity?” He asks his com as he descends the stairs to the third floor where their printing press is located. The Daily Bugle still does all of it’s own printing. Not surprisingly J. Jonah Jameson doesn’t want to pay the cost of a middle man. The guy from 7/11 puts the small yet powerful pack of explosives in the middle of the printing room.

                “ _That ought to blow a hole straight to the lobby_.” Nat reports.

                “I’m ready for my domestic terrorist now.” 7/11 guy says as he walks away from the printing room.

                “Sending him in now.”

                Clint comes in through the window with their token domestic terrorist over his shoulder.

                “Where do you want him?” Clint asks. The guy from 7/11 points close to the printing room.

                “I wired it so the bomb will look like it went of prematurely. He got caught in the blast.” 7/11 guy explains. Clint drops him close to the door to the printing room. He looks at him for a second.

                “You know, if this guy hadn’t killed two dozen factory workers six months ago, I would have had a problem with this.”

                “It’s not a sure thing he’s going to die.” 7/11 guy says tonelessly. He gestures for Clint to follow him to the fire escape.

                “You don’t mess around do you?” Clint comments as they repel down to ground floor and beat it before the fire department shows up. The Winter Soldier hits a button on his detonation devise. The building shakes behind them. Fire and smoke explode out the window. The loud crash indicates Natasha was right about the structural integrity.

                The Black Widow pulls up in a non-threatening looking Sedan. The Winter Soldier and Hawkeye climb inside and drive off.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's taken longer than usual for me to update. This has been a really crazy week for me. Gaze in terror at what I did! It's official, we have six chapters left! I hope you enjoyed this little reminder of mom Bucky vs Mama Winter Solider. Or Mama Bucky as he is called in my head. The working title for The Winter Soldier Becomes a Parent was 'mama bucky'. The working title for this one is 'mama bucky 2'. There's some trivia to take to the bank! XD 
> 
> J. Jonah Jameson is a menace and deserves to be ruined. We will flash back to the conversation with the kids next chapter. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	65. Chapter 65

Earlier

                Bucky sets the grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup down on the counter in front of his kids. Billy gets little pieces of chicken tender and a cup of mac n cheese. He stuffs it in his mouth right away. He gets orange cheese all over his mouth. Bucky smiles at him and kisses his temple. Next Bucky fishes a snack for the dog out of one of the drawers. Roger Rogers gets a special bone to chew on. The dog takes it politely before jumping on the couch and taking a nap. He has been tirelessly watching the children. Now he must sleep. Natasha and Barton just left to go find Bucky his domestic terrorist. They took the mini-cooler gratefully.

                “Mamma da cheese woo.” Billy babbles as he stuffs his face.

                “Come on, eat like a person not a…” Bucky smirks at his mate. “Pup.”

                Steve blushes as red as his tomato soup.

                “What’s a pup?” Sasha asks as she dips the corner of her triangle shaped sandwich half in her soup.

                “It’s nothing. Just a um… it’s just an old-timey word. It doesn’t mean anything, Mommy just meant Boo Ba’s making a mess.” Steve wipes his mouth when he’s done talking. He and Bucky share a look before Bucky smirks and shakes his head. He spoon feeds the mac n cheese to Billy, one little bite at a time.

                “So…?” Jamie draws out as he kicks his feet. “Whatcha want to talk about?” He asks finally.

                “I wanna talk about how things are going to have to be from now on. Now that the public knows about us. You more specifically.” Bucky doesn’t look up from Billy’s cup of mac n cheese.

                “What’s that mean?” Sasha frowns.

                “We’re going to have to be more careful.” Bucky answers. “You guys are going to have to have people near you all the time that can help defend you. It will be me, mostly. I think I’m going to have to quit SHIELD so I can be your fulltime mom.”

                “You’re going to quit?” Steve double checks. This is brand new news to him. “Buck, you can’t quit you… you love it?” Steve loses steam at the end of his sentence. He’s not actually sure what motivates Bucky to work for SHIELD.

                “I love our family more than I love tracking down and killing the people who hurt me. I highly doubt that those two things are going to be so separate anymore anyway.”

                “Are bad people coming after us?” Sasha squeaks. She’s instantly more worried about her brothers than she is about herself.

                “Yes.” Bucky answers with a lump in his throat that he doesn’t let show in his voice. He’s keeping eye contact with Billy to avoid giving away how terrified he really is. Billy whimpers concernedly.

                “Bucky, you don’t know that. Natasha and Clint say there is no immediate threat towards them.” Steve interjects.

                “That doesn’t mean there isn’t already a plan in the works.” Bucky says resolutely. “SHIELD doesn’t have the resources to detect some threats and their predictions are usually only solid for 24 hours out at any given time. Sometimes things happen and no one is expecting anything. The global threat environment is at a three right now. That’s a thirty percent chance that somewhere on earth there is going to be an incident that will require the intervention of a superhuman response team to rectify. Yesterday it was a one. It changes all of the time. We are all in danger and I need to be close to home to deal with it.” Bucky bites the inside of his cheek.

                Sasha wipes her eyes. “What about school? Do we still have to go to school?”

                “Yes. I’m sorry you have to go.” Bucky has agonized over that. “We’re not equipped to serve Jamie’s learning needs here. You both need to stay on top of your schooling unless there is a plain and immediate threat. If that means we have to take you out of school for a few days a month, then that’s how it’s going to be.”

                “You think we’re going to be under attack for a few days every month?” Steve says, not believing it. “You’re giving the bad guys a lot of credit don’t you think?”

                “I find it’s always better to overestimate than underestimate. Grind them into the dust Steve, prove me wrong.” Bucky is absolutely certain Steve will do just that to protect his family.

                The kitchen stays quiet for a minute after that as the family eats their food. “I’m scared.” Sasha pipes up. Jamie takes her hand. Bucky sets down the spoon he was using to feed Billy. He turns around and leans on the counter, looking her right in the eye. His fright is plain to see now.

                “Sweet Pea, you know I am too. But trust me, we’re going to make it through this. The way I see it the bad guys are going to get the picture eventually. This craziness can’t last more than a year before they realize they can’t do shit to you.” Bucky walks around the counter and hugs his kids tightly. They cling and tuck their heads under his chin. Sasha and Jamie both sniffle. Steve pets their backs as he listens to his mate. “I’m being extra cautious because I love you so much I couldn’t handle anything hurting you. Our family is the most precious thing in the world to me. I’m not giving anyone the chance. We’re going to be okay guys. Things will go back to normal eventually but right now things are... We’re just going to have to keep close for this next year. We can do this.” Bucky exhales. Tears are gathering around his eyes too. Steve stands up and kisses them away and hugs the three of them.

                “What about Billy?” Jamie asks. “They don’t know about him yet.”

                “We’re going to take care of Boo Ba too. Stevie, would you?” Bucky’s voice cracks. He gestures towards where Billy is reaching for them. Steve nods and goes and gets Billy out of his high chair. He brings him over so he can join their little family huddle too. “Billy can stay under lock and key at SHIELD when we’re at school. He’ll be safe in the nursery there or with Daddy when he’s working around the compound. There are lots of people we can trust to protect him. He’s also got a lower security need because nobody knows about him yet.” Bucky lets Billy suck on his thumb. “We’re going to get through this guys. I promise.”

                Roger Rogers rubs up against his leg, tail wagging lightly. He seems to smile up at Bucky. “What?”

                “Woof.” The dog replies.

                “You want to be Billy’s guard dog?” Bucky raises an eyebrow.

                “Yeah!” The children agree. “He should be Boo Ba’s guard doggie! He can keep him safe and be his friend when we’re at school.” Sasha expounds. Billy reaches down for Roger Rogers. The dog puts a paw on one of the bar stools and props himself up so his head is high enough for Billy to pet. Bucky shifts Billy a little and the kids laugh. Steve beams and laughs as the dog tries to insert himself into the middle of the group. Billy tries to help. Bucky attempts to dissuade him but ends up laughing at the futility of it. Steve puts a hand on his mate’s nape while the kids are distracted by their pet. Bucky looks up at him.

                Steve lips the words ‘Are you going to be okay?’ to his mate. Bucky blinks once for yes. Steve sighs and gestures downward with his chin. “Even with” Steve asks out loud.

                “Especially with.” Bucky smiles as best as he can. He’s certainly nervous about it but what’s done is done.

                “ _Captain Rogers, I hate to interrupt but you are needed_. _The Avengers are assembling_. ” JARVIS cuts in over the loud speaker. All of the fragile frivolity that had begun a moment ago crashes to the ground around them.

                “Huh?” It takes Steve a second to realize what’s happening. He’s on the move as soon as he does.

                “Play with the dog.” Bucky instructs the kids. They nod, now nervous again, and pull Roger to the couch. Bucky sets Billy down on the couch with his siblings and goes to talk to Steve. Steve meets him in the hallway with his duffle bag. He has a Starkpad with the mission specs in his hand.

                “Looks like three was a little low.” Steve rolls his eyes. “It’s okay, it’s got nothing to do with the kids. It’s something nuclear reactor and supernatural deity related in India. Just run of the mill Avengers stuff. You stayin here I take it?”

                “Yeah. Be safe, okay?” Bucky kisses his mate as Steve heads out the door.

                “Sure thing, Baby Doll.” Steve jogs to go meet the team on the roof. Bucky watches him go and tries to figure out the ramifications of this. The most pressing and obvious is that Steve will not be there when he takes the kids to school in the morning. Bucky sighs and runs his fingers through his hair. He closes the door and walks back into the living room. The kids look like they’ve had enough of their emotions being jerked around for today. Bucky goes to the hallway closet and pulls out a bunch of blankets. He throws them over his kids and dog and climbs under them himself. Billy crawls into his arms, his kids scoot so the lean on his sides, the dog somehow manages to sprawl over all of them. They snuggle together in silence until Bucky asks what movie they want to watch.

.oOo.

The Next Day

                Bucky parks in the school parking lot. The three passengers pause inside their new family SUV. They already left Billy in the care of Ingrid and Roger Rogers at SHIELD. The radio is playing a news report about the explosion at The Daily Bugle. None of them are listening to the noise. The twins clutch their dark blue, Captain America backpacks in their laps. Jamie runs his fingers over where his name is embroidered in black letters above a picture of his father’s shield. They are a half an hours early. The busses won’t show up for another twenty minutes. Bucky gets out of the SUV first. He circles around to the back of the car and opens it up. He takes out a waterproof, black, plastic case and a red shoulder bag with stars and stripes on it. The shoulder bag has their lunches in it. The main course is leftover pizza. In the black case he has several pieces of custom made, compact artillery which he intends to stash around the school. He’s slowly been sneaking small weapons into hiding places since the twins started going there. Now he’s upping his game to the fancy stuff.

                “Come on… it’s time to go.” Bucky says unhappily. He knows this is going to be awkward as hell. By now the whole country knows what his children look like, their school mates have almost certainly realized who is in their class. Bucky didn’t bother with a disguise today. He’s in his casual-kill-clothes. That is, clothing he could assassinate a platoon of soldiers in but also still look normal in at the mall. He’s strapped up like usual underneath.

                The kids slide out from their seats and put on their backpacks. They look normal too. The kids are also well equipped with knives on their bodies and pistols in their backpacks. All three of them have the necessary paperwork to carry their arsenals. Bucky locks the car. 

                “Let’s go.” Bucky says solemnly. They approach the school cautiously with Bucky close behind his children. When they turn towards the front door all three of them stop in their tracks.

                Bucky was expecting a mob of protestors, a bunch of cops, an angry line of staff at least. He was not expecting a huge banner with the words ‘ **Welcome Back Sasha and Jamie** ’ printed out in red white and blue, nor the festive decorations, or the group of waiting families and kids having snacks in the lobby. Bucky bristles visibly. This feel like a trap but he knows from experience that Hydra could never do something so… sweet.

                “Why is there a sign?” Sasha asks her brother. Jamie shrugs, bewilderedly. The doors burst open and Sasha and Jamie’s classmates gush out to come greet them. The small mob of children yells their names excitedly followed by a million unanswerable questions. The parents and teachers call to the students and gesture for Bucky and the kids to come inside. It’s January and it’s cold outside. The three of them never seem to notice.

                “Okay everybody calm down!” Mrs. Holland says to her students. “Please calm down.” She asks hopefully. The parents are reigning in their children now. They hug them to their waists to keep them from pestering the family. It's similar to the way the twins cling to their mother but they do it for the opposite reason. Bucky has slowly managed to shuffle the kids through the door into the entryway despite the current of school children still noisily asking questions.

                “Welcome back!” Mrs. Holland leads the crowd in cheering.

                Jamie leans up to talk to his mother. Bucky kneels down so Jamie can whisper to him. “I don’t get it, what did we do?” He asks.

                “Um, you’re famous now. People are going to lose their shit when you just show up places I guess. I’m not sure.” Bucky tries to explain. He’s still flustered by the school’s response. The principal emerges from his office and fights through the crowd. He clears his throat.

                “We’re really happy you decided to bring them back.” The principal tells Bucky from a comfortable distance.

                Bucky wrinkles his nose. “Why?”

                The crowd around them has gone quiet. They look amongst themselves. The principal purses his lips. “We had some staff that weren’t exactly happy about it. I’ve accepted two resignation letters and I expect a third on my desk later today.” He rocks back and forth on his heels with his hands in his suitcoat pockets. “But I’ve also gotten job applications from teachers twice their merit from all over the country. It seems a lot of people want to thank you and your family for what you do for us, myself and these people included.”

                Bucky looks around at the gathering. “You do realize you’re putting your children in-.”

                “We know. But we’re also aware of the fact that if that happens we’re going to be well taken care of. I personally don’t mind being the first stop The Avengers make when the world needs saving.” The principal says with a welcoming smile. Bucky is speechless.

                One of the kids from Sasha and Jamie’s class runs up to them with a plate of cookies. “Try one of these!” Sasha takes it warily. She looks up at her mother for confirmation. Bucky looks at the cute little kid with the plate then eyes the cookie. He takes one himself and takes a bite. He holds it on his tongue, tasting for poison. The only thing it tastes like is cream cheese frosting and bargain brand you-bake sugar cookies. The little frosting shield is pretty well done too. Bucky nods to Sasha. Sasha eats her cookie. Jamie takes one and smiles gratefully to his classmate.

                “Thank you.” Bucky says with an apologetic smile to the group. “We weren’t expecting this. Really I can’t tell you how much this means to us…” Bucky takes a deep breath. “I hope you don’t mind me being here. It’s for the children’s safety. If you want me to stay in the car instead-.”

                “No! Of course not!” Mrs. Holland says vehemently. “You’re terrible at crafts but the kids love you and it’s really nice to have parent help.” She shrugs. “Plus you’re an _ex-_ assassin, right?”

                Bucky thinks about what he currently has stashed around the school, under his clothes, and most damningly the thing in the box. “Yeah…” Bucky cringes. “If I’m going to be here I should be honest-.”

                “He’s not an ex-assassin, he’s a superhero.” Sasha corrects by interrupting Bucky for the third time in five minutes.

                “But he’s mostly just a protective mama.” Jamie adds. He looks at his classmate with the plate of cookies. “These are good. I really like that they aren’t laced with arsenic.” He wipes the crumbs off his hands casually as he chews his last bite. “I’m immune but it still gives me a headache.”

                The crowd laughs good naturedly at that. “And on that note, let’s go to class.” The principal declares.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey look at least that didn't go disastrously wrong! Haza! Don't expect this to be the tune for the next couple of chapters. Oh by the way, the CPS thing was totally just J. Jonah Jameson being a blow hard ass hat. There isn't actually an investigation or anything. CPS isn't stupid, they know there's no better place for kids like that. Plus... Nick Fury would castrate their organization if they tried anything. I'm going to post another world building set of facts on my tumblr probably tomorrow. This one will be about how a/b/o designations has affected history! Yeah history! I love history! And also science, psychology, art, literature, and superhero slash fan fiction. So I'm in the right place right?
> 
> -The Trollop


	66. Chapter 66

                Bucky hasn’t heard from Steve in… too long. He hasn’t been able to get in contact with the rest of the team either. He’s making dinner for the kids when he finally gets a call. Bucky snatches his phone off the counter. He’d been checking it every other minute in case he somehow missed a text. He clamors to hold the phone up to his ear while his hands are covered in barbeque sauce.

                “Steve!”

                “ _Hi Buck, I’m sorry I haven’t called.”_

“You may think you are but I’m going to redefine ‘sorry _’_ for you later! What the hell happened?”

                “ _There’s another one_.” Steve says forlornly on the other end of the call. Bucky’s mouth slides open.

                “Another what? A mission?”

                “ _Yes. In the Bering Sea. It’s a SHIELD ship stocked with weapons. Hydra just attacked it. They’ve got some kind of Kraken.”_

“Two in twenty four hours? Does no one else think there is a connection here?” Bucky says irritably. He’s scowling hard now. “You know like our kids?” He hisses.

                “ _Trust me that has been looked into. There isn’t a connection between this and the other event. They’re completely unrelated, Buck. Try to relax. The Bering Sea is a long way from New York. This is just an unfortunate coincidence.”_

Bucky sighs. He’s been defeated by logic but his gut still says Steve is wrong. “Come home safe, then we’ll rest up and analyze it further.”

                “ _See you then. I love you_.”

                “I love you too.” Bucky lets Steve hang up. He sets the phone down on the counter and looks at the chicken he’s marinating. He huffs and gets back to work. Nothing he can do from New York after all.

.oOo.

                Steve is home for three hours before the next call comes.

                “Can’t the X men, or The Fantastic Four, or _somebody_ else deal with this!?” Bucky yells into the phone at Nick Fury.

                “ _This is SHIELD stuff, Barnes. It’s our base, our people, our responsibly_.” Nick says resolutely.

                “What you’re afraid somebody’s going to spill all our secrets just because Johnny Storm rescues them instead of Steve!? What kind of bullshit is that?!”

                Steve is tiredly putting on his bloody, dirty uniform as Bucky speaks. Steve shrugs. It hurts him to do that. That only fuels Bucky further. “Even he can’t heal this fast! This is impossible. Have you tried calling Deadpool? He can actually heal that fast?”

                “ _Wade Wilson is currently not available. It’s Peter Parker’s heat at the moment_.” Fury tells him. “ _We looked into our options. We aren’t just doing this to be mean_.”

                “Asshole!” Bucky yells and hangs up. He forlornly looks at Steve. Steve chagrins and hugs him briefly before he slowly gets a move on again.

.oOo.

                Clint jumps off the building he just planted a bomb on. His legs bicycle as he flies through the air. The Hulk catches him and curls around him before the explosion toasts him. More of the damn goons start shooting Hulk. He roars at them and throws Hawkeye away to ‘safety’. Clint gets tossed a hundred feet before hitting the ground hard. He rolls to try and take the impact better but it still messes him up.

                “Clint!” Natasha yells from the downed Quinjet. She’s been covering Tony while he tries to salvage the weapons system on the flightless bird. There’s no hope of getting the Quinjet flying again. Natasha weighs her options. Clint isn’t getting up and he’s being surrounded. She abandons Tony to go get her best friend. She pulls him into the safety of the Quinjet, doing even more damage by dragging him. Clint holds his shoulder soundlessly screaming.

                “Is it broken?” Natasha asks in as close to a panic as she gets. Clint nods vigorously.

                “Shit!” Tony yells from the console. “Where the fuck is Cap?!”

                On cue Cap shows up with the freed hostages. Thankfully the hostages were trained SHIELD agents and are now serving as their backup. Natasha, Tony, and Steve rally what’s left of their resources and get the job done. They win the fight but walk away with compounded injuries and no energy to speak of.

                Bruce comes back from being The Hulk and collapses.

                “What the hell was that!?” Clint yells at him. “You broke my fucking… god damn everything!” Clint’s not sure what is and what isn’t broken on that side of his body but it feels like the answer to ‘is it broken?’ is always yes.

                “I’m sorry!” Bruce yells back with Hulk’s angry gravel in his voice. “I was trying to save you! You would have been dead otherwise!”

                “That’s enough!” Steve yells. They stand, sit, and lie in a circle together breathing heavily. “We’re tired, we’re hurt. We’ve never seen this kind of action one after another like this before. We need to keep our heads or we’re going to rip each other’s heads off.”

                “Literally!” Clint says accusingly. Bruce growls warningly.

                “Hey!” Steve barks. “I said knock it off!”

                “I signaled Fury, our new ride is on its way. We’ll be home in a couple of hours.” Natasha says to sooth them all. “We’ll rest, regroup, it will be alright.”

                “Until this shit happens again in four hours.” Tony mutters.

                “Thanks Tony. Really helpful input there.” Steve snaps.

                “Really?” Tony raises an eyebrow. His face plate is pulled up. “You haven’t noticed? They’ve been waiting to attack when our adrenaline is down. Just when we feel our most exhausted and hurt, that’s when they’ll launch the next thing.”

                “You’re operating under the assumption that this is all one organization’s doing. We have no intel that suggests that.” Steve insists. He’d be less resistant to the idea if it didn’t scare him to death.

                “Just because we don’t know how it’s happening doesn’t mean it’s not happening. These last two were Hydra or Hydra supported rogues. That’s a connection. I don’t know how ‘Shiva’ is involved with this but I’m willing to bet it wasn’t a coincidence that attack happened when it did.” Tony narrows his eyes. “I’m saying that whoever orchestrated this is trying to wear us down until we’ve got nothing left to put up a fight with.” Tony gestures to Bruce, Clint, and the Quinjet. “And it’s working.”

                “So what are you suggesting we do? Not respond to these calls? Wait it out until the big one? We can’t do that and you know it.” Steve says resolutely. He’s got no right to be mad at Tony but he can’t help it.

                “I’m not suggesting that.” Tony shrugs. “But don’t be stupid and insist I’m wrong.”

                “So what do we do?” Bruce asks from where he sits with his head hung. “If I keep pushing myself as the other guy I’m going to do more harm than good, Clint can’t shoot, and our transportation has been taken down.”

                “Now would be a fantastic time for Rock of Ages to magically appear after eight years.” Tony quips.

                “I wouldn’t hold your breath.” Natasha says, unamused.

                “Sorry. I just don’t know what else to tell you.”

.oOo.

                “Anngghhhaa hanhanhan!” Billy wails in his high chair. He’s red in the face and snotty. Bucky is flustered and flailing for control.

                “Oh come on gimme a break Buddy.” Bucky mutters as he cuts up Billy’s apple slices into even smaller apple slices. Billy is upset again that he’s not being breastfed. He’s protesting by refusing to eat anything. He’s been resisting food since the night before.  

                “Mommy!” Sasha yells. She comes running out of her bedroom with her backpack in hand.

                “What!” Bucky snaps. Sasha flinches at the harshness of it. Bucky sighs. He’s exhausted to the bone. He’s been waiting for Steve to call for six hours now. It’s been three days since the triple header began. Things haven’t exactly gone back to normal at school yet and their routine at home hasn’t been established at all without Steve there. “I’m sorry Sweet Pea.” Bucky says as he embeds the knife into the cutting board. “I’m stressed out. I didn’t mean to snap. What is it?”

                Sasha gestures to her backpack. “I can’t find my other gun. There’s only one in here.”

                “You were cleaning them both last night.” Bucky massages his temple and gives Billy his diced apples and a bottle of breast milk. It’s a compromise he figures. It would have been easier to just feed him. The breast pump hurts like hell and is just weird to use, he thinks. Billy sucks on his bottle uncertainly. He knows it’s the right stuff but it’s not coming from the right place. He eyes the bottle and his mother suspiciously. “You better appreciate that for all the trouble I went through.” Bucky mumbles as he goes to go look in Sasha’s room for her other gun. He can just give her another one if it comes to that but he’s still going to look for it. He doesn’t like the idea of missing firearms around the house hiding in places he personally did not hide them.

                After five minutes they find the gun wedged between Sasha’s headboard and mattress. “You’re not supposed to turn so much if you’re sleeping with a gun. And you’re not allowed to sleep with it anyway. Keep the safety on and leave it on your nightstand, you know that.” Bucky scolds. He’s checking to make sure her backpack is fully stocked with necessities. Shrapnel proof jacket, knee pads, miniature gas mask, and lunch box. Shit! He forgot to pack lunches! Bucky fast walks to the kitchen to throw something together. This might be a chicken tender, juice box, sugary snack-thing day.

                “I didn’t try to sleep with it. It must have got back there some other way.” Sasha insists.

                “Not buying it. Sell me something better or tell the truth Missy.” Bucky says as he throws chicken tenders into a Tupperware container for all of them and grabs some juice boxes. “Where’s your brother?”

                “Practicing the part he wants for the play.” Sasha goes to go get him.

                “Jamie! Hurry up!” She yells. Jamie comes scrambling out of his room with a wrinkled piece of paper in one hand. He really wants to get the part of Jack in their grade’s play ‘Jack and The Magic Beans’. Sasha doesn’t give beans about the play but Bucky has been encouraging his son to go all out if he wants it.

                “I’m coming.” He says as he trots into the kitchen. His backpack rattles slightly from the weapons and school supplies. He looks at the status of the food and the state of his baby brother.

                “Mommy we’re going to be late. Tryouts are first thing.” Jamie complains.

                “Shit!” Bucky forgot about that. He throws the mess of unorganized food into his shoulder bag he carries their lunches in most of the time. “Hold this, please.” Bucky gives the bag to Sasha. “You take that and go wait in the car. I’ll be there in a second.” Bucky picks up Billy and grabs a wipey out of the container they keep by the high chair. He cleans off Billy and takes the bottle with them. He throws the plate of apple cubes in the fridge and follows his kids out the door.

                “Roger! Come!” Roger Rogers hops off the couch and follows them.

.oOo.

                Bucky gives Billy and Roger Rogers over to Ingrid on the curbside. She takes the crying child expertly and gives Bucky a disapproving look. The dog wags his tail and bounces from foot to foot happily at her side.

                “No time to explain! Audition!” Bucky closes the door to the SUV and drives off, leaving Ingrid standing there rolling her eyes.

                “You have a good mommy my little schnucki.” She says in a baby voice to him. He smiles at her between finishing his bottle. “Let’s see what kind of adventures we can have today.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh fuck. This is it. This was the last chapter of sanity. Crap. I'm anxious. Are you anxious? I've only been planning these next four chapters THE WHOLE TIME! hfu2irfbjsbxkqged2rf!!! *Heavy Breathing* It's almost over guys! It's almost over and scary things are happening! AH! Comment! Comment or they all get it! 
> 
> Oh and I wrote that thing. Here it is Historical facts of A/B/O in my universe: http://thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com/post/113237107559/more-facts-about-the-trollops-world-of-a-b-o
> 
> Plus some Trollop trivia which is at least worth glancing at.   
> -The Trollop


	67. Chapter 67

               Bucky stops a foot away from a paparazzo trying to take a photo of the SUV. The parasites have formed a line outside the premises of the school. After the little party for the kids it was only a matter of time before word got out that this is where the twins go to school. The press and the photographers and these scum showed up yesterday. Stark security has been assigned to keep them away from the family. They are not allowed inside the building or in the playground area thankfully. It’s just coming and going to school that’s frustrating.

               “Get out of the way maggot!” Bucky yells out the window. He aggressively honks the horn at the people in front of his car. The kids hold onto the door and seat in fear. They have no idea what their mommy would do to these guys. He seems to hate them as much as he hates Hydra agents. The flashing of cameras persists. He hits a button on the dash so that his words broadcast outside through a discrete speaker system. “I have a license to kill and great car insurance. Get the fuck out of my way or I’m running you over!” He warns before he hits the gas. The crowd scrambles to avoid being rammed. Bucky woops happily when he finally gets to park and hustle his kids out of the car. Jamie and Sasha bolt ahead to the music room where play tryouts are going on while Bucky runs behind with a new duffle bag of weapons to stash and their bag of lunch.

.oOo.

                The building is a symbol of British government. Westminster palace is as beautiful as it is important. Inside British parliament is currently meeting to discuss some matter that is of relatively small importance compared to disaster lurking in the wings. The room is about to break for lunch when the attack happens. The room lights up with fire and smoke. Everyone either ducks down reflexively or tries to run out of the room. The noxious smoke from the rockets distorts visibility. The guards try to break into the room but machine guns cut them in half with bullets before they realize what they are up against. Nine Doombots mounted with machine guns close in on parliament. Smoke swirls around Victor Von Doom as he approaches the golden throne reserved for the monarchs of England. He dramatically throws his cape to the side as he regally drapes himself in the seat. He smirks at the cowering group of indignant representatives.

.oOo.

                Jamie shuffles back and forth nervously. He mutters his lines as he clutches his ‘resume’. Bucky thought he should have some sort of information about himself for the elementary school music teacher. He read up on what professional actors bring to auditions and found out they have something called a ‘headshot’. His first reaction was to tell Jamie he can’t be an actor if it means he’s going to be shot in the head. Then he realized it’s just a fancy word for a photo of his face. So Bucky, very relieved that he did not have to squash his son’s dreams, took a nice picture of Jamie and attached it to his resume. Jamie gives the photo and his resume over to Mrs. Kurtenbach with shaking hands.

               “Oh thank you!” She looks at the simple document. Jamie doesn’t have any acting experience obviously but he speaks five languages and has extensive knowledge of cover identities. Bucky figured that was kind of like acting. “This is lovely. Whenever you’re ready, Honey.” She says. She sits down on her stool by the piano a few feet from him and waits for Jamie to recite his simple lines. There are twelve boys trying out for this role. Jamie is the seventh one to do this.

                Bucky sits in a chair by the back wall with Sasha by his side. Sasha is working on her class assignment while she waits. The teacher consented to having the twins being kept together in Bucky’s presence at all times. So far they haven’t run into any troubles with it. Sasha’s a good worker and the assignments mostly involve coloring in connect the dots puzzles with math facts. Bucky doesn’t get them but Sasha works through them like a pro.

                Bucky’s phone beeps ominously. It’s the alert signal for when it’s an emergency. Bucky takes it out right away and reads what it is.

**Sue: Von Doom just attacked British Parliament. We’re on our way but we could use backup. Can you help?**

                Jamie goes fish faced by the piano. Bucky looks up at him and smiles almost reassuringly. Jamie’s lip quivers. Bucky lips ‘Sorry’ to him and motions for him to continue. Jamie gulps, steels his nerves, then clears his throat in an exaggerated manner that means he’s going to begin.

.oOo.

                Charles scratches his head and yawns as he walks into the kitchen. He just woke up and still might not quite be there. He and Erik accepted the X men’s offer to return to his family’s home. He agreed with the caveat that he’s not be referred to as Professor Xavier. As far as any future students need be concerned he is just Charles, the adorable professor of natural sciences. The rest is complicated and he’s still working out the kinks in this new lease on life. And his neck. He slept in a funny way on Erik’s shoulder last night and now his neck is sore. He picks up the coffee pot and pours himself a cup of coffee.

                Charles pauses before he drinks when he hears the sound of distant yelling. “Somebody put up a force field!” They say. That sounded like Logan. Why would someone need to put up a force field? Charles walks over to the window.

                Out on the lawn, Logan is running full speed towards the mansion like he’s being chased by the devil. Charles frowns.

                “What on earth?” He squints. There is something moving through the trees. The confusion ends when the ground falls away from under the peaceful looking forest revealing a fiery pit complete with hell spawn spewing forth onto the boarder of the manicured lawn. “Bloody Fucking Hell! ERIK HELP!” Charles yells. 

.oOo.

                 “Let me go Giant! I am a mighty warrior in my village. If you raise your fist against me you’ll regret it. I am small and fast and very ferocious.” Jamie recites seriously. Sasha giggles and covers her mouth. Bucky is smiling from ear to ear.

                 Mrs. Kurtenbach reads for the part of the giant. “Ha! I will grind your bones to make my bread, Fierce Little Hors d'oeuvre!” She says in a deep voice. Bucky’s phone makes the emergency noise again. Bucky curses under his breath and checks it.

**Rogue: Help! Hell’s broken loose! I mean literally! We need backup!**

                 Bucky stares at his phone. Whatever that is, it’s happening in upstate New York. Jamie isn’t doing his next line. He’s looking concernedly over at his mother. The Fantastic Four and The X Men are calling for help. Bucky doesn’t even know where Steve and The Avengers are and he can’t help anybody because he has to stay with his children.

                 “Is everything okay?” Mrs. Kurtenbach asks. She doesn’t seem annoyed with the interruption, just frightened.

                 “It’s just um…” Bucky scratches his cheek as he flips back and forth between Sue and Rogue’s messages. Add these to the three events The Avengers responded to in the last few days and that’s more major attacks than they’ve seen in the last six months combined. Something is undeniably going on. Bucky makes his decision. He’s going to let Jamie finish his audition and then he’s taking his kids home. He’s not risking it.

.oOo.

                Steve naps with his feet propped on a stack of medical kits and his shield. He, Nat, and Tony are flying in a helicopter to the nearest airstrip where they can get on a jet for the long flight home. Their mission was in the middle of Mexico. Bruce and Clint are taking a slower, calmer ride home as soon as Clint finishes getting his bones set at the hospital. Natasha would have stayed with him but Clint talked her into going with Steve and Tony. If Tony is right that means they’ll need her with them. Steve just dozed off a few minutes ago. Tony’s helmet beeps where it sits next to Tony on the floor. Tony groans and puts his hands on his head.

                “Fuck I hate being right! What is it JARVIS?”

                “ _Call from Nick Fury. Patching him in now.”_

Steve wakes up with a startle. “What?”

                “Trouble.” Nat explains.

                “ _Bad news again. We’ve got another emergency. This one’s worse than the other ones. We’re sending in all the backup we can give you. War Machine and Falcon are on their way with the STRIKE team and every other god damned agent we can spare.”_ Nick tells them through the speakers in Tony’s helmet.

                “What’s happening?” Steve asks. His heart is pounding already at the thought of what could be worse than what they’ve already been through.

                “ _Hydra just broke into SHIELD’s highest security prison on the Bimini Island off the coast of Florida. It’s a ‘come get your prisoner’ free for all and they’re taking back their own top brass. If we don’t get you there now we’re going to lose everybody we’ve spent the past ten years capturing and a whole lot of other guys we don’t need running around_.”

                “I’m changing course for Bimini.” The pilot informs them.

                “Yeah, you do that.” Tony says tiredly. “I didn’t even know we had a prison there.”

                “ _That was the goal_. _We’ve been hiding it for years_ _for exactly this reason_.”

                “I should call Bucky.” Steve says as he looks for his cellphone. “Where’s my thingy?” He pats himself down. “I can’t find my cellphone.” Steve says as soon as he realizes it.

                “Use the helmet. JARVIS call The Terma-mama.”

.oOo.

                Bucky’s phone rings as he’s taking a folder with his kids work for the rest of the day from Mrs. Holland. He holds up his finger and fishes it out his pocket. He picks it up immediately when he sees it’s Tony.

                “ _Buck, it’s me_.” Steve greets.

                “Stevie I’m going to kill you!” Bucky hisses. “I’ve been calling for hours!”

                “ _I’m sorry, Baby. I must have lost my phone during the fire fight. We’re inbound to a prison break right now. Hydra is breaking their people out. I think this might be what it was all building up to. Tony has a theory that these attacks were done to wear us down so we can’t respond to the big one. If that was the plan it’s working pretty damn well_.”

                “Fuck.” Bucky curses. He looks at the kids who are staring at him and the disapproving teacher. He cringes. “Sorry.” He lips to them. Bucky walks out into the hallway. “The X men and The Fantastic Four are busy dealing with crisis’s right now too. Sue and Rogue texted me asking for help. You’re telling me there are three major attacks going on _at the same time_?”

                “ _Yes_.” Steve says solemnly. “ _You should take the kids home. I’ve got a bad feeling about this_.”

                “I’m already doing that. I wish I could help you but I can’t leave them.” Bucky’s voice has a slight whine to it.

                “ _Sam and Rhodey are on their way. They’re calling in everyone they’ve got for this_.”

                “Be safe. You can do this.”

                “ _I don’t got much of a choice. I’ve got to come home and make dinner_.”

                “No kidding.” Bucky chuckles nervously.

.oOo.

                Ingrid carries Billy on her hip as she walks through the halls of SHIELD HQ New York. Roger Rogers trots along at her side happily wagging his tail. The dog is completely oblivious to the gravity of the situation he currently finds himself in. He’s currently escorting the director of the hospital wing and the highest priority safety concern in the facility. Billy sucks on his fingers and looks at the empty hall around him. SHIELD is going into lockdown in response to depleted personnel and multiple emergency situations. They are currently closing down most of the building so that defenses can concentrate around the medical and executive areas. On Director Fury’s orders two thirds of the staff have just been deployed to deal with the situation in Bimini. Most of the remaining staff are analysts and facility operations specialists. The scattered guards are stationed at all of the exists and entryways. As the director of the hospital Ingrid is the highest ranking person on staff. She walks into the facility control center looking pissed off and dangerous as usual. The operations specialists turn towards her for instructions.

                “I want all of the medical equipment on generator power. Turn on the filters in the ventilation system and let down the barriers between wings. I want everything as compartmentalized as we can get it. If anything wants in they’re going to have a hell of a time trying.”

               “We’ve already switched to generator power.” A woman says as she types in commands on her computer console. “Turning on filtration and lowering barriers.”

               “I’m taking William to the child care room. Contact me if anything odd happens. Even if it looks like we did it. _Anything_.” She says sternly before walking off again.

.oOo.

                Bucky ducks back into the classroom. The kids are sitting together on a rug taking turns reading from an enormous book. The thing is three feet tall on a big stand. They have lots of these Books they read together. This one is about planets. Sasha and Jamie look over at their mom. Bucky gestures with his head towards the door. They pop up when the page is being turned and go to grab their stuff. They wave goodbye to their classmates and follow their mother out the door.

                “Is Daddy okay?” Sasha asks as they walk down the hall towards the exit to the parking lot.

                “Yeah, he’s got lots of backup. He’s going to be fine.” Bucky walks quickly. The twins practically have to jog to keep up.

                “Wait a second, why does Daddy need backup? I thought he’d be done with his mission by now.”

                “It’s a new mission, Sweet Pea.” They turn and push on the doors to open them.

                “What-?” Jamie doesn’t finish. The Winter Soldier grabs both of his children and forces them down, curling protectively around them as the glass windows and doors shatter in front of them. Glass shards spray them but Bucky’s thick leather jacket protects him and his body shelters the twins.

                “Go!” He yells. The twins bolt down the hallway back to their classroom. Children are screaming. Some of them foolishly stick their heads into the hallway or even wander outside. “Get to the inside classrooms! Stay away from the windows!” The Winter Soldier orders the children. “Now!” He pushes some of the lingering ones in the right direction. Some of them froze when they realized what’s happening. Mrs. Holland is standing in the doorway of her classroom.

                “What’s happening?!” Mrs. Holland asks in a panic. The Winter Soldier walks towards her quickly. More gunshots and the sound of breaking glass come from outside. It sounds like they’re shooting out the windows. The kids and teachers from the outside facing classrooms crowd through the hallways and into the classrooms on the interior. The inside classrooms are packed. Sasha and Jamie’s class is on the inside.

                “We’re being attacked. You know your lockdown procedure?”

                “Yes! We practice every month!”

                “Do that.”

                “I’ll call the office!” She runs into the classroom. Winter follows her. Mrs. Holland picks up the phone in her shaking hands and tries to dial. Her fingers shake so badly they hit the wrong keys. The Soldier swiftly dials the right number for her.

                “Thank you. Hello Toni? We’re being attacked. Mr. Barnes says to do a lockdown drill, I mean a lockdown!” The Winter Soldier punches through the drywall next to the phone. Mrs. Holland screams. The Soldier pulls a shotgun out of the wall where he hid it a month ago and hands it to her. She drops the phone and fumbles with it. “Oh my god!”

                “You took trap shooting in college?” Winter says looking her straight in the eye.

                “Ye-es-es?” She stutters.

                “Same thing. Don’t shoot anybody short or me.”

                “I don’t know if I can!” Bucky grabs her by the shoulders.

                “You can either defend yourself or you can die horribly. I’m going to defend-“

                “ _Teachers we are going into lockdown!”_ The secretary screeches over the intercom. “ _The police have been called. Keep calm and quiet, lock your doors, cover your windows and stay as out of sight as possible.”_

                The Winter Soldier strips off his leather jacket revealing his holstered guns and knives over the top of his puncture-proof shirt. Sasha and Jamie have also stripped down to their weapons and combat clothing. Winter hops up on a desk and removes a ceiling tile. He throws a switch on a small, black box that turns on the power to the security camera system The Soldier has wired all throughout the school over the weeks the kids have gone there. He jumps back down and takes out his phone. He has a link from the camera system to it. He flips through a couple screens to make sure everything is online. Sixty five cameras observe the rooms and hallways of the school. The screen of his phone has little squares with views from each room in it. The cameras of the same room switch between views. He hands the phone to Jamie and goes to open up other ceiling tiles to retrieve more hidden weapons.

                Sasha drags over the black case Bucky brought with him three days ago. Mrs. Holland let them keep it by the craft supplies. It weighs about eighty pounds. She opens the combination lock on the handle and unpacks the box. The Winter Soldier sets down a crate of weapons next to her.

                “Here, let me deal with that I don’t want you messing with it.”

                “Aww.” Sasha complains.

                “Sasha not now!” The Soldier scolds. He lays down an expandable metal bar on the floor that acts as a track for the weapon in the box to slide on. He sets the thing down on the track and hits a button. The thing makes a whirling noise and unfurls itself. While it calibrates Winter plugs a long fiber optic cable with a little camera on the end of it.

                “Mommy, they’re sending in teams through the south wing entrance and the north wing entrance. There is a dozen each. Looks like they’ve got big guns coming through the classroom windows on the east and west side. They’re boxing us in.”

                “How big?” The Winter Soldier asks as he tests out the reaction speed on the fiber optic cable. It’s opposable and maneuverable by remote.

                “Each group has five M60’s. Smaller machine guns for the rest of the group and I’m seeing hand guns.” Jamie answers.

                “Sasha would you slip that under the door?” Winter says without concern.

                Sasha takes it and tries to slip it under. It’s too thick.

                “It won’t fit.” She reports.

                “Okay, shoot a hole in the wall.” The Soldier instructs as he loads his custom made revolver cannon. With a single barrel mated to a cylinder with multiple chambers, this type of autocannon uses the revolver principle to accelerate the cycle of loading, firing and ejecting multiple rounds of ammunition, achieving a very high rate of fire compared to conventional cannon of the same caliber.

                 Sasha takes out one of her guns with a silencer on it and shoots the wall three times, blowing a hole big enough for the cable just the way she cuts out the center of targets on the practice range. Bucky smiles at his children. He’s terrified but very proud of how well they are handling this.

                 “Is there anything I can do?” Mrs. Holland asks timidly.

                 Bucky thinks for a second. “Yeah actually. Go and look in Sasha’s backpack. There should be a bag of ear plugs for the class and some candy bars.”

                 “What are the candy bars for?” Mrs. Holland asks. At this point she wouldn’t be surprised if The Winter Soldier planned to use them to kill people. He could if he chose to but that’s not why he brought them.

                 “Moral.” The Winter Soldier responds.

.oOo.

                 Ingrid watches Billy run back and forth chasing the dog. She smiles her awkward, crooked smile at the child she delivered into the world. He’s adorable beyond a doubt. She looks at the security camera footage on her phone. It’s a fancier system than the one Bucky set up but it’s the same principal. Her face falls when she spots the tail end of a green cape disappear out of the corner of the image. She changes the view and sees him. Dr. Doom is inside the compound a hundred feet from where she is now.She has no idea how he got through security undetected but she doesn't have time to wonder. She reacts instantly. She grabs Billy and bolts for somewhere to hide.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I said on tumblr that writing this chapter is like using my forehead to pound a nail into the wall. I've got some things to say about the upcoming chapters but I think I'm going to hold off until next time. Please comment, I need motivation because these chapters are hard to write for me. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	68. Chapter 68

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Graphic descriptions of violence

                Three submarines, which SHIELD did not know Hydra possessed, are sitting around the island. That’s where the soldiers came from. They stormed the hidden prison in less than ten minutes. The place had been built to keep _in_ the most dangerous men and women alive, not keep them out. The people this place houses are the villains Steve has spent his career at SHIELD hunting down. Ira and Angela both have cells here, though they are considered some of the tamest inmates. The worst of them are the kind that eat their cell mates if you let them. This prison specializes in keeping in people who cannot be contained. If Bucky had been found guilty of his crimes he would have been sentenced to a lifetime here. The same goes for Natasha. This is the hole they throw the Big Bads in and forget about them. No one is sentenced here for anything short of life. 

                Hydra used C4 to blow a hole in the reinforced concrete wall that surrounds the prison. The guards shot the invaders with machine guns mounted on the wall. Special armor(also an unknown quantity) saved the soldiers from the high caliber rounds. The Hydra soldiers had to lay another charge to blast through the wall. Once they were in though, there was no stopping them.

                Tony flies to Bamini in his suit. With only fifty percent power he’s not on the top of his game. He’s also having a problem receiving information from JARVIS. There is now a two second delay for all verbal communication. Thankfully his HUD screen isn’t having the same problem. If that happens he’s fucked. Tony gets to the island fifteen minutes ahead of Steve and Natasha. Luckily they weren’t that far away from Fort Lauderdale when they got the call. The US military is involved in this too. Their inability to deal with Hydra has already become blatantly apparent. 

                The Navy Seals were the first to respond. Hydra’s submarines blew their ships to smithereens with special guns powered by something like the Teseract. SHIELD knew they had the designs but didn’t know they could manufacture them. After their transportation was destroyed along with most of their men, the seals were adrift in the warm sea for all of five minutes before the coast guard showed up and started rescuing them. A small fleet of ships has now gathered to surround the island just outside of Hydra’s presumed targeting range. Tony is flying around doing surveillance. Hydra set up antiaircraft guns on the shore of the island. They’re keeping away anything bigger than a human. Tony is too quick and small for the guns to target. SHIELD is banking on the same being true for Falcon and War Machine. Tony is banking on his HUD screen holding out.

                Steve and Natasha hop out of the helicopter onto a coast guard vessel. Coulson is there waiting for them. He’s dressed like he’s about to go into battle with them. He probably is.

                “We’ve surrounded the island but we can’t get in close because of those subs. If they dive we lose them.” Coulson reports.

                “Hello Phil. Good to see you too.” Steve greets sarcastically. “What kind of time do you think we’ve got before they dive?”

                “I have no idea. As far as we can tell they haven’t moved the prisoners yet.” Phil replies.

                “ _Negative on The Shawshank Redemption folks. Nice of you to arrive, Cap.”_ Tony confirms over the coms in their ears

                “Not all of us can go seven hundred miles per hour, Tony.” Steve retorts.

_“I actually go faster than that by A LOT but we’ll talk about my specs later. Right now we should probably be thinking about getting our asses in there somehow.”_

                “Air lifting isn’t going to work.” Coulson states. That’s obvious to all of them.

                “We can’t exactly park an amphibious vehicle on the shore either.” Natasha adds.

                Steve looks at the situation and tries to think of what it reminds him off. Finally it dawns on him.

                “Coulson you don’t happen to have two dozen rebreathers on you by chance?”

                “ _Did he just suggest we make this a pool party?” Tony asks unenthusiastically._

“When Buck and I take the kids to the pool at HQ we play a game where one of us tries to catch the others while they swim underwater. It’s called Sharks and Minnows.”

                “ _Everyone alive over the age of six has played that game.”_

“You want to go under the subs and storm the beach?” Coulson confirms.

                “Unless someone’s got a better idea.” Steve looks between Nat and Coulson. Natasha glares back at him.

                “I really hate you right now.” Natasha hates swimming.

.oOo.

                Ingrid was born August 11th, 1950 in East Berlin. She was her mother’s fifth child. Ingrid was born in a breeding program. Her mother and father belonged to a faction of the Nazi party that remained loyal to Hitler and his ideas even after his death. The breeding program Ingrid was the result of was designed to give Germany ‘pure’ soldiers for the next generation. Ingrid was raised in a secret compound where she helped with the births. She never went to medical school, she lived in one practically. By the time she came of age she has already been the midwife to dozens of births. She knew all of those children, many were her siblings and half siblings. When she was employed with the Stasi she wrote them letters for their birthdays and on special holidays. The hardest part about defecting to come work for SHIELD was giving up contact with those children. She has always had a special relationship with ‘her babies’, the children she delivers. Some attachments are stronger than others.

               The phone lines are down and cell phone signals have been jammed. She gave up on that in favor of getting to a better fortified area or hopefully an exit. Or at least someplace with guns. Ingrid punches and kicks at the wall behind a counter in the back room of the childcare facility. The door is locked but she knows it won’t hold long if they’re found. Her best chance is to knock a hole in the wall and escape into the operating rooms on the other side. She’s never been so glad for the poor work the contractors did building the place. She splits open her knuckles but she manages to burrow through the wall.

               “Now you go through there.” Ingrid tells Billy and the dog. The dog goes first to make sure it’s safe. He sticks his nose back through seeming to indicate it’s alright. He clears out of the way so Billy can crawl. He gets to the other side and shuffles while he waits for Ingrid to struggle her way through the small opening. Finally once she’s free of the wall she takes stock of where she is. This is an operating room that was about to be used before the lockdown. Ingrid takes her lab coat and rips the sleeves off. She takes some of the sharp surgical saws and ties them to the sleeves’ ends. She wraps the sleeves around her forearms and holds the knives.

               “Come on. Let’s find a way to call your mommy.” She says to the toddler. He waits for her by the door. Roger Rogers woofles at her quietly. He’s trying to communicate something but Ingrid can’t figure it out. She dismisses him and cracks the door open. She hisses. There are two guards with guns by the doors she was hoping to escape out of.The doors are sealed with a steal slab anyway. The hallway forks a few meters down but she couldn’t make it without getting hit. She looks at her two charges. “You, dog. You’re not a real dog. You could be shot and not die.” This is certainly news to Roger Rogers. “Go maul them and I’ll be your backup.”

                Roger’s programming is very explicit on the subject of mauling. It’s too be done only when ordered and with gusto. The dog pushes open the door and charges the two guards while barking and growing like he’s rabid. The guards were not expecting a killer, robot golden retriever. They shoot him but the bullets have no effect. His flesh is mostly silicone and his bones are made of metal and carbon fiber. He jumps on them and scratches and bites with his titanium teeth with all of the aggression of a killer German Shepard. He rips the throat out of one. Ingrid does the other with her knife set. She had no trouble sneaking up on him with Roger Rogers trying to tear out his femoral artery. After the guards are dead Roger Rogers goes back to wagging his tail and smiling pleasantly. Ingrid pats his bloody muzzle.

                “Good dog.” She praises.

                Roger’s head swivels to the end of the hall. Footsteps are approaching. Ingrid and Roger Rogers sprint for the door to the operating room but the new wave of guards catch them before they’re in safety. Ingrid drops to the ground and covers her head. Her right leg feels like it’s been set on fire but something warm and soft is covering her side and head. The guns are still firing for another second then it stops.

                “Don’t shoot him! We need him alive!” Victor yells at the goon. Roger slowly backs up towards Ingrid and growls. He knows when to pick his battles. Ingrid forces her eyes open and looks at what saved her. It’s Billy. He touches her face tenderly looking very worried.

                “Oh!” She scrambles to look at his back. There are bullet holes in his shirt but only little bruises on his skin. He’s bullet proof. She tries to get up to run but the remnants of her right leg are attached only by half broken bone. Blood is pooling all around her. She knows she hasn’t got much time. Victor walks purposefully towards Billy. The two year old starts crying and folds in on himself, frozen in fear. Ingrid throws her body in front of Billy when Doom reaches down to grab him. She unfurls the knives and stabs them into Victor’s gloved hands. As he is in his armor, he has few vulnerable spots. This seemed like her best option. It works. Victor howls and kicks her through the door of the operating room. Her leg breaks off in the process. Her eyes meet Billy’s from the other side of the doorway. He reaches for her, his lip quivering. “Run!” She screams savagely. Roger Rogers head-butts him to get him moving. Victor slams his boot down on the dog’s tail, robbing the child of his second protector. Billy sprints away as fast as he can. He’s gone in a flash. The robotic dog’s titanium teeth scrape against the metal armor on Victor’s leg. He boots the dog into the operating room with Ingrid. Victor points to the hallway Billy went down.

                “Well don’t just stand there! After him damn it!” Victor growls, holding his hand. The dog yelps and scratches at the door. Ingrid is holding her stump, putting as much pressure on it as she can. She’s not dead yet.

                “Dog! You have to get him help. Find Bucky. Do you have a record function?”

                The dog looks at her with his head tilted. He opens his mouth. “ _Do you have a record function?”_ He repeats with Ingrid’s voice.

                “Good. Tell Bucky Doom is here! He’s after Billy! It’s all been a trap. Go dog! Find him at the school.” Her voice is getting weaker.

                Roger Rogers woofs. Ingrid’s eyes go as big as saucers when he shakes off his pelt and drops his internal storage pouch full of water bottles, snacks, and a first aid kit. The result is a sleek, metallic creature with the frame of a dog. As soon as he’s finished shedding his skin and flesh he jumps through the Plexiglas window. He’s no longer the fat, clunky dog his family loves. Now he is the racing, indestructible messenger his family needs.

.oOo.

                 It’s become apparent that the bad guys don’t know which classroom they’re in. They’re going class to class looking for the twins. So far they’ve roughed up a few of the teacher but they haven’t touched the students. There seem to be one or two regular soldiers in each group. The rest have been trained differently. These aren’t the run of the mill Hydra goons they send out to be killed. These are Assets. None of them are even close to the caliber of The Winter Soldier but they were still made in the same way. The Soldier can tell by the way they move. He recognizes a few faces from files he’s seen. Maybe from before his new life as well. He could have trained some of them and not remember. He puts that out of his mind. Whatever he feels for these men and women as fellow Assets, it’s nothing he won’t push aside to defend his children. The Winter Soldier is referring to their enemies as west, east, north, and south teams. They’re going to stay in those directions too. There are metal gates that close off the wings from each other during an emergency. The Soldier can see from the security footage that the office triggered them to roll down and lock. The gates are made out of chains and metal tubes that look something like the outlines of a checkers board spanning the hallway. Winter felt a lot better about the gates until he realized the teams have bolt cutters.

                 “Evacuation of the classes that aren’t being targeted should be an objective. Once the fight starts it’d be better if there are as few kids around as possible.” The Soldier tells Mrs. Holland.

                 “I agree but how are we supposed to communicate that?” She asks.

                 “I’m not sure.” He shakes his head. “There are walkie-talkies in all the classroom ceilings but I don’t know how to tell the teachers that. I was going to send out an email today.”

                 “Do we have any kind of communication with the outside world?”

                 “The cellphones aren’t working and the landline has stopped now too.” Sasha reports. The Winter Soldier massages his temples. A million strategic thoughts race through his mind but nothing that will help with broad communication. He needs Steve. If he could just get ahold of him it would be alright.

                 “The police are here right?” He asks when an idea pops into his head. SHIELD monitors the school. There may be disasters everywhere but somebody has to notice this. He’s banking on one fanboy in particular.

                 “Yes.” Jamie confirms with the surveillance system.

                 “Come on Coulson…” Bucky prays.

.oOo.

                 “This was a _terrible_ idea.” Natasha hisses at Steve. They have their backs against a wall. The prisoners and their Hydra rescuers have joined forces. Tony got shot down. The suit saved him but now it’s lost most of it’s flight capacity and all of it’s weapons systems. Luckily they have someone there for that.

                 As a ‘thank you’ for killing Radnitzer Tony sent Ira a box of random parts and tools to play with and Fury made sure he got them. The worst Ira can do is kill himself or someone else. As long as they aren’t a guard, Fury doesn’t give a damn. Right now the tools and parts are helping to save their asses. Ira and Tony are working like their lives depend on it. They do of course, so the response is very appropriate.

                 “I didn’t say it was a great plan, I said it was our only plan. And you didn’t argue might I add.” Steve shoots back.

                 “We are going to be ripped apart and it’s entirely your fault.” Natasha drones.

                 “If you really felt that way, you wouldn’t be saying that.”

                 “Obviously.” Natasha rolls her eyes.

                 “Tighten that, switch that clamp to the other wire… BAM!” Tony mutters then shouts. He holds up his right gauntlet that he and Ira just jerry rigged into functionality.

                 “Great!” Natasha and Steve say at the same time. Ira smiles the smile of a man that just got his fix.

                 “Call Rhodey and Sam and tell them to come save our assess.” Tony doesn’t have his com in. He took it out because he’s hyper sensitive to noise. Steve touches the com in his ear reflexively.

                 “Cap to Falcon: We’re ready for a little Law and Order.” Steve says with a grin.

                 “ _Falcon to Cap: The Flight of the Valkyries is inbound_.”

                 “ _Coulson to Cap: We have a problem_.”

                 Sam and Rhodey land down while Tony covers them with his single gauntlet. It works surprisingly well. Cap and Natasha cover Tony and play targeting system for him. It takes a few minutes for the fight to die down enough for Steve to talk. Coulson tries to get Steve’s attention impatiently the whole time. Steve is fighting for his life, he can’t let up even if he wants to.

                 “Cap to Coulson: What’s the problem?” He says between heavy breaths.

                 “ _Coulson to Cap: It’s Bucky and the twins. Their school has been attacked. They are trapped inside_.”

                 It’s a good thing Tony has his repulser or he wouldn’t have been able to save Steve from being hit over the head with a rock.

                 “Cap, wake up!” Tony yells and immediately regrets it because of his ears.

                 Steve doesn’t hear him. All he hears is the sound of his breath and an intense, piercing ringing. The knots in his stomach twist as the ringing gets louder. It’s the same as he felt after he saw Bucky fall from the train. He can’t think about anything other than that. He’s got to do something but he can’t think of what with the sound of Bucky’s death cry crashing through his brain. He snaps.

                 “Rhodey!” Steve yells, his voice breaks around the lump in his throat. Rhodey lands down in his armor and blasts the hell out of a guy trying to take down a guard.

                 “Cap? What the hell is going on?” Coulson must have sent the message only to him. Steve puts his hands on Rhodey’s shoulders.

                 “I need your suit.” He says looking straight into the camera that lets Rhodey see.

                 “Now? Why?” Rhodey asks, flustered by the strange suddenness.

                 “Because I need to get back to my family before I lose them.” Steve pleads. “Please Rhodey I’m begging you, I can’t survive losing them.”

                 Rhodey doesn’t pause or make any kind of demands for more information. That would waste time Rhodey knows is of the essence. “JARVIS transfer the suit to Captain Rogers and plot a flight plan for the twins and Bucky.” The pieces hook onto Steve before Rhodey finishes his sentence. Steve is on his way before anyone realizes Rhodey is not the one in the armor.

.oOo.

                The west team has looked through all of the classes up to the barrier. The barrier is three classrooms down from them. The west team is getting ready to cut it down now. The Soldier is prepared for this. He doesn’t like the odds and he doesn’t know how he’s going to do this without his children getting involved but he will. He has to.

                A flash through the camera screens surprises Jamie.

                “Mommy something’s coming to us _fast_.”

                “What did it look like?” Winter settles in behind him.

                “Grey and blurry.”

                A bark comes from the door followed shortly by scratching. Jamie switches to the view of the classroom door.

                “Roger?” He says, not quite believing that’s what it is.

                “Shit he’s giving us away!” The Winter Soldier scrambles to let the dog in.

                “Roger what are you doing?” He hisses at the dog. Roger opens his mouth.

                “ _Good. Tell Bucky Doom is here! He’s after Billy! It’s all been a trap. Go dog! Find him at the school._ ” Plays from his mouth.

                Bucky’s eyes widen in horror. He gropes for something to sit on. He winds up falling onto the ground. His baby, his Boo Ba. He can’t defend himself! Roger is here and he doesn’t know what happened to Ingrid. He’s alone. He’s alone and Doom is coming for him.

                Ice. His mind freezes over. There is nothing left but jagged pieces of glacial wasteland, hard tundra, and frozen pine trees… He takes his mask out of his bag and attaches it to his face. 

.oOo.

                The west team gets ready to cut through the mesh barrier with enormous wire cutters. The two assets on point scan the hallway in front of them. Whatever part of them is still able to feel fear is buzzing in the back of their minds. They know what’s just down the hallway from them and it’s stopped being human decades ago.

                The one with the wire cutters turns around to put the tool back in it’s case. He sees a dark figure for only a fraction of a second then his neck is snapped. The two on point jerk to aim at the target. The Winter Soldier is behind the right point of the team. He cuts through his spine from sacrum to C1 vertebra. The finger of the right point holds the trigger of his gun down. Bullets spray randomly everywhere but backward. The west team forms up while doing their best to avoid the bullets. The left point shoots through his dying teammate on reflex. The Winter Soldier is too fast. He ducks and throws the soon-to-be-corpse onto the left point. The right point is impaled on the barrel of the machine gun. The Winter Soldier grabs the barrel and wrenches it upward out of the left point’s hands. He backhands the right point and machine gun into the west team. They have their back to the metal mesh barrier. They’re trapped. And the soldier is using a dead man with body armor as a shield. They shoot but nothing hits him. He moves so fast they can’t get a good aim. The soldier grabs the left point by the throat with The Weapon and crushes his neck like he’s wringing out a wash cloth. He turns the left point’s head so that blood sprays onto his team before he throws the body so hard it causes the team to fall back onto the barrier. He spins and drives his back and elbows into the mess of disoriented team members. He’s using proximity to his advantage. The knives come out. He extends his arms and stabs two of the west team members with deadly force. If the blades weren’t enough, the force of his stabs is bone shattering. One blade hits his target right in the orbital socket. The other spears a carotid artery. One of the Assets targets The Soldier’s head. He tips his muzzled chin up and takes the bullet right on the mouth. His teeth are bloody but he’s otherwise unharmed. He head-butts the one who tried to shoot him so hard it cracks the man’s skull inward. The Winter Soldier kicks him into the wall out of the way. The rest of the team forms up again. They are now at half ranks. They shoot in a line like a firing squad.

               The six remaining team members see only a quick movement and then he’s gone. He launched himself up through the ceiling through the removable tiles. Fractured dry wall rains down where he just was. From his place in the ceiling The Soldier takes the guns out from his side holsters and fires six shots. They all hit their mark. The six west team members falter with bullets in their necks and shoulders. The Soldier rolls through the ceiling, kicks out a second panel, drops down behind them and blows their brainstems out. One of them twitches. Just to be sure, The Winter Soldier picks up the wire cutters and smashes that one’s skull in with it.

               The entire attack lasts less than two minutes. The Winter soldier ‘walks’ away from a twelve to one fight with Hydra’s best with bloody gums and some sheetrock in his hair. He bolts through the door out into the parking lot. He rips the door off his SUV, he doesn’t have time for locks and keys. JARVIS starts the car for him and he’s driving through a flower garden to avoid the police blockade a second later. He rams cars that are in his way at eighty miles an hour.

               “How long is it going to take me to get to SHIELD HQ?” Bucky shouts at the AI installed in his SUV.

               “ _At your current rate it will take five minutes_.” JARVIS answers at a volume that reflects the urgency of the situation.

               “Fuck!” Bucky sobs. Tears stream down his cheeks as he drives even faster.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Uh! Wow... just holy hell. I wrote five thousand words of nail biting action today. This chapter is twice as long as I usually write but I had it planned out this way and I'm stick to it. These last chapters are going to be top heavy like this, what can I say. BTW Navy Seals are awesome. My cousin is a SeaBee assigned to a Seal Team. So nothing against them, just you know Hydra. They're dicks to everyone. 
> 
> IF YOU ARE DYING: And by that I mean you are thinking about quitting the series because you are upset with the potentially DEVASTATING consequences of this fight coming up. You should read the end note on this. You should read all of it because it's interesting but especially that last part. If you are not dying and can handle a bit more suspense then stay with me there is more to be had. But again I'm here to entertain you but I want you to feel safe as well. If you are concerned something will be triggering, again, last part of this might make you feel better. Warnings will be clearly labled at the beginings of the chapters I am talking about... which is suppose is next chapter. Alright then *dies*. http://thenotorioustrollop.tumblr.com/post/113582451419/a-note-about-remy-lebeau-i-am-actually-a-hardcore
> 
>  
> 
> -The Trollop  
> PS: I love you, don't cry.


	69. Chapter 69

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: Graphic descriptions of violence AND something that could be interpreted as a miscarriage. AGAIN that COULD be interpreted that way.

 

Eight Years Ago

               Their hands are so tiny. They’re the most delicate things Bucky thinks he’s ever seen. Jamie and Sasha are curled up together asleep in their nesting cradle on Bucky and Steve’s bed. Bucky gently strokes their hands with one finger. They’re so soft and new. He can’t get over it. They’re only ten hours old. Bucky lies in bed curled around them. He feels oddly empty now that they’re born but the feeling’s got nothing on how swollen his heart is with maternal love. This is one of those moments he never thought he’d have after becoming The Winter Soldier. Now that he’s living it, it still doesn’t seem real.

               “Buck, don’t shoot it’s me.” Steve calls before he enters their bedroom. Bucky’s keeping a gun on the nightstand in case someone tries to break in and steal his Sweet Peas. He would sooner die than let anyone hurt them. He’s so anxious yet so happy and it’s all muddled together in this great big ball of emotion in his chest.

               “Come in.” Bucky says quietly. Steve opens the door and closes it behind himself. He beams at his family like a mirror reflecting the sun. He’s never been this content. He’s totally drunk on this new dad thing. He approaches Bucky and the newborns slowly so he doesn’t spook his mate. He startles if anything comes close to them too quickly.

               “Hey.” He greets, sliding in behind Bucky so he can wrap an arm gently around his waist. “You doing okay?”

               “Never been better.” Bucky answers genuinely. He can’t remember feeling like this before.

               Steve chuckles. He’s agrees vehemently. “Yeah, I know. How are you physically?”

               “Sore and it’s still painful to walk. Not that I’m doing much of it.” Bucky answers with just a slight grimace. Steve kisses the side of his neck.

               “You did amazing.”

               “I didn’t have much of a choice in the matter.” Bucky hums.

               “Still incredible.” Steve kisses him again. He gingerly joins Bucky in petting their infants’ little hands. Steve feels Bucky’s chest vibrate for a moment before he settles down. “Shhh, I’m allowed to imprint too you know?”

               “I’m an unstable, imprinting, postpartum assassin. My ass is sore and I’m in love. Give me a break.” That gets a laugh out of Steve.

               “Okay Baby Doll, break awarded. You’ve earned it.”

.oOo.

Now

                The Winter Soldier hugs his children to his chest and rasps to them through his mask, “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He chants as he nuzzles them both with his mask still on. “I love you both so much. Protect each other.” He stands up, and walks out the door.

                “Mommy?” Sasha whimpers. Tears blurry up her vision.

                “Sasha!” Jamie shakes her shoulder. She looks at him, surprised that he’s so stern. “We can’t cry. We have to take care of the kids.” He points at the surveillance footage of outside. There is a SWAT team and what looks like every police officer in New York is in the parking lot. The only thing not jammed up is the flower beds. “If we can get Roger Rogers to relay a message to those guys-.”

                Gunshots are fired in the hallway. Lots of them. The twins change the view on the camera, searching for the fight. Their mother is a moving blur in the footage. It’s over in seconds after they find the scene. The Soldier sprints out the door. They follow him to the view of outside. The police and SWAT teams back away as best as they can in the congested parking lot. They recognize him even without his full Winter Soldier regalia. The mask and long hair is rather iconic. He’s driving like a maniac as soon as he sits down in the car. Jamie switches to a view of the hallway where the fight just went on. The east, north, and south teams are either at or approaching where the west team lies dead. They’ll find them any second now.

                “We need to get them out of here now!” Sasha declares.

                “How?!” Mrs. Holland shrieks.

                “Everyone grab your desk!” Jamie orders. He picks up his and shows them how to hold it so it shields their head and body. “Run to the outside classes and get out!”

                Mrs. Holland nods, composing herself. “Okay everybody do just what Jamie said.” The kids are crying, some have wet themselves. “We can be brave, we can do this! Just carry the desk and run as fast as you can. I’ll go first.” She goes to the door and turns to talk to Sasha and Jamie. “Go now?”

                “Now!” Sasha and Jamie yell together. Mrs. Holland runs into the hallway. Her class follows her in a surprisingly orderly line. They can only fit one desk through the door at a time so they must be. There is about a second between each person that goes through.

                The North team at the end of the hallway isn’t shooting at the evacuating children. They’re still cutting through the barrier. The children have evacuated in under a minute. The other classrooms will hopefully sit tight and wait it out. Mrs. Holland braves the hallway again to come back to them.

                “Come on we have to go!” She urges.

                “No.” Sasha says solemnly. “ _We_ have to stay. They’re after us. They’ll just follow if we go. We’ve got a better chance if we stay here with the big gun.”

                Mrs. Holland stands there speechless. “You two are the most amazing students I have ever had.” The twins smile at her. She runs back through the hallway.

                Jamie and Sasha look at each other and take a deep breath. Roger Rogers sighs with them. Or at least he makes a sighing sound. Jamie caves and hugs onto his sister tightly.

                “I love you Sasha.”

                “I love you too. Are we going to be okay?”

                “We’re going to be fine.” Honestly, he’s not sure.

                Roger Rogers barks at the cell phone screen and nudges it towards them with his snout. Jamie takes it and looks for what’s got him so excited. The north team is outside their classroom. They’re taking aim at the door. The twins shove their ear covers on and get behind the revolver cannon. Sasha operates it while Jamie handles the targeting. It’s a little tricky because they’re shooting through a wall.

                “Fire when ready.” Jamie instructs.

                Sasha smirks and grips the handle that functions as the trigger.

                Ten shots burst from the barrel of the gun. It blows a hole in the wall and splatters most of the north team against the opposite side of the hallway. Sasha picks up a submachine gun out of one of Bucky’s weapon buckets that happened to be by her side. She aims through the hole in the wall at some of the ones they missed. The Assets that were with them are not the ones that were hit. Sasha tags one of the ones running for cover but it’s not a good shot.

                “Dammit!” She ducks down so she’s not targeted through the hole they made. She rolls away from the wall. Bullets start to hit it from the other side. They aren’t blowing it to bits like their revolver cannon did but the plaster is dropping off and soon the wall won’t be very good cover. Jamie re-aims the cannon.

                “Do you want me to shoot and you aim?”

                “I’m the better shot.” Sasha frowns.

                “I’m better at moving targets.”

                “Since when?” Sasha snaps.

                “Vision therapy games. Really doing wonders for my shooting.”

                “Fine!” Sasha says exasperatedly. “You want to shoot, here you go!” She gives him her gun and goes to check Jamie’s aim. They’re using the camera under the door to target without actually seeing where the revolver cannon is pointing. Jamie references the screen they’re using so he can target the remaining team mebers. He can see one of the Assets is about to make a move for the door. There is a beam in the wall that will prevent them from using the revolver cannon once he gets there. “He’s gonna run…” Sasha says, aiming the cannon for where she knows his teammate will pop up and give him cover. Jamie sees the first sliver of his body moving.

                “Now!” He stands up and shoots through one of the soft spots the north team made in the wall. Sasha fires the cannon and headshots the guy that was covering his Asset. Jamie’s bullets rip holes in the Asset. He drops dead with a satisfying thud. Jamie smirks at Sasha. Sasha just rolls her eyes.

                “Told you I could-.” A burst of gunfire has Jamie ducking down.

                “Looks like what’s left of north team met up with east team.” Sasha confirms.

                “We’re running out of wall.”

                “I know!” Sasha yells irritably.

                Something thunks against the back wall of the classroom. The kids’ heads snap to it. Jamie picks up two canisters from his mother’s weapons bucket. Sasha picks up the gas masks and slips one on. Jamie joins Sasha by the wall and takes the other mask. They both shut their eyes reflexively and brace themselves.

                The C4 takes out the back wall leaving them practically exposed on both sides. Screaming comes from the nearby classrooms. They still haven’t had the chance to evacuate.  Before the dust settles Jamie pulls the pins out of the canisters. He throws one into the class and the other into the hallway. The smoke bombs go off and immediately fill the area with an opaque cloud.

                Sasha cracks her neck and rolls her shoulder. Jamie shakes his knees out. They were raised for this.

.oOo.

Two minutes earlier

                The War Machine armor goes faster than any plane could have taken him. Even the Blackbird couldn’t go this fast. Steve will be at the school in twenty minutes. It’s not fast enough but he’s already putting all the power he has into it. He’s already tried calling Bucky and the twins but there hasn’t even been a dial tone. He’s frustrated and more terrified than he’s ever been. He knows they’ve got friends who can help, his brain is just too panicked to pick out the ones who aren’t in their own life or death situations.

                “JARVIS call Matt Murdock!” Steve commands when he thinks of it.

                “ _Calling Matt Murdock’s cell phone_.” It dials twice before the call is answered.

                “ _Hello?_ ” Matt answers.

                “Matt, it’s Steve!”

                “ _Steve! We heard about the kids! We’re on our way to the school right now! We would have gotten their sooner but we stopped to grab Wade!_ ”

                “Oh thank heaven.” Steve’s eyes are watering with relief. “I’m on my way now but it’s going to be 18 minutes and 24 seconds before I get there, according to JARVIS.”

                “ _We’ll try to save you something to punch. Got to go, we’re about to break through a police barrier_.”

                “Thank you!” Steve yells, uncertain if Matt heard it.

.oOo.

                Flashes of light illuminate the thick cloud. There are more than thirty people in the room. All of them are lethal assassins. Two of them are eight years old and better trained than any of them could ever hope to be.

                Sasha twists around a body and causes a target to shoot his teammate. Two Assets and a teammate are in a knife fight with Jamie. Jamie is fighting them with a knife in each hand and spikes on the toes of his boots. These people have no loyalty to each other. They would gladly kill one another if it means they get to the children. Sasha kicks her new target in the throat to Jamie. He jumps, twists his hips and obliterates the wrist of the teammate’s hand with a kick. Sasha takes the gun from him and fires in a semicircle around them, killing Jamie’s targets. They both get down on the floor before the targets return fire. They expertly roll away when the targets aim downward. Sasha hits a wall and moves along it. She finds her teacher’s rocking chair, picks it up and throws it at the targets in the smoke. It crashes into them just as Roger Rogers bites down on one of their faces. Sasha dives for the bean table, flips it up to use for cover and fires at the fog. The targets aim at her but the bullets stop dead on the epoxy sealed table. Good for craft projects and bulletproof.

                “Sasha, hold fire!” Her brother orders.

                “Jamie?!” She’s worried he’s been taken captive and is now being used as a shield. The dying screams from the fog come as a surprise. The sound of metal piercing body armor and blades chopping off limbs reverberates through the smoky classroom. Assets and teammates alike drop to the floor. They are shooting but the bullets don’t seem to have an effect.

                “RAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHH!!” Sasha knows the sound of his voice even distorted by the growl of rut. She smiles so wide it hurts. He jumps in the air and spins, swords like a deadly windmill. Deadpool decapitates his targets in one fast flick of his katanas. Two of the remaining members of the north team try to make a break for it through the torn up wall only to get whipped in the face then choked by a grappling wire. Daredevil knocks their feet out from under them so they fall together in a noose for two.

                On the other side of the classroom an Asset turns and finds himself speared through the eyes by a pair of sai. Elektra snarls and throws her blades into the last damned soul.

                “Clear!” Matt yells.

                “Clear.” Wade responds in a growl.

                “Clear!” Elektra says, confirming it’s over.

                “Wade! Elektra! Matt!” The twins shriek as they embrace their closest rescuer.

                “Oh Sweet Pea, I was so scared.” Wade says as he tightly hugs Sasha back. Elektra puts a hand on Sasha’s head.

                “Let’s get out of this smoke.” She coughs and leads the two of them. Matt and Jamie are already there. Wade breaths heavily and rumbles with his hands on his hips. Elektra kneels down in front of the twins.

                “Are you okay? Did they shoot you?” She pats them down looking for any kind of injury. Matt just smiles at them.

                “Their heartbeats and their breathing sound fine. You two did good. Where’s your mom?”

                “He left about five minutes ago to go save Billy! Doom set this whole thing up so he could go after Boo Ba!” Jamie yells frantically. Now that he’s out of danger the reality of what’s going on with his brother hits him. Sasha starts sniffling again.

                “And now I know who I’m going to make it my person mission in life to castrate!” Wade chimes, not at all kidding. The kids look at the stressed out alpha concernedly. Wade flops his arms to his sides. “I’m in rut. I was having a _really_ good time until about ten minutes ago and now the whole damn thing is ruined for me. Anyway, someone’s going to pay with their balls. Now I know that person is Doom. You two are so helpful. And cute! It’s a good thing I’m sterile or you’d have cousins. What are we talking about? Oh right, killing!”

                 “We better call Steve and get you two to safety. Your mother has that safe room in the nursery right?” Matt says quickly but with some semblance of calm.

                “That’s what Mommy would want. Mommy…” Sasha whimpers. Wade scoops her up and starts carrying her out.

                “It’s okay. Let’s get you safe and then we’ll go help your mom.” He says. Jamie follows along at his side. He reaches for Sasha’s hand. She takes it gratefully and smiles at her brother.

                Matt is already calling Steve. He picks up right away. “Steve, what’s your ETA.”

                “ _Ten minutes fifteen seconds_!”

                “The situation’s changed. We’re taking the kids back to the tower to the safe room.” Matt taps Jamie on the shoulder. “Where is your brother now?”

                “SHIELD base.”

                “Bucky and Billy are at SHIELD HQ. Doom is after Billy, you should go there first.”

                “ _What!_? _No! He can’t do that alone! Doom has magic and that stupid armor! He can’t-! Oh Bucky!”_ Steve is hyperventilating in ragged breaths.

                “I don’t think he had any choice. We’re on our way but you’ll probably beat us there. Good luck. We’ll get there as soon as physically possible.” Matt hangs up.

                “We should split up.” Elektra tells the group as they walk through the police barrier.

                “It’s safe to go get the kids now!” Jamie says to an officer.

                The SWAT team moves in right away.

                “I’ll go to Bucky. You take them home.” Wade says setting Sasha down. “Hey you!” He yells at the policeman parked on the outside of the mess of cars next to where Elektra left her Lincoln. “I need your car! Official police business… or whatever.” Wade waves his hand and pushes past the guy who tries to pull a gun on him. “Whatever blah blah blah, I’ll bring it back.” Wade says as he slips into the driver’s seat and screeches the tires before zooming off. Elektra drives slower but still fast in the opposite direction. The school is directly between the tower and SHIELD HQ. That’s why Bucky didn’t take them with him when he left. At this time of day Wade will be lucky if he gets to SHIELD HQ before Steve. Steve is only nine minutes away from SHIELD HQ at his current trajectory. It will take Elektra and Matt twice as long as Wade to get to SHIELD HQ. It’s an SAT question with lives at stake.

.oOo.

                He designed the defense systems of this building. He knows them better than anyone and he knows exactly how to foil them. It’s not easy. He's very good but he never could figure out one structural integrity problem with the building. His plan starts with driving the SUV off an onramp.

                He hits the gas and rams through the concrete wall separating the road from a four story drop. The car flips up and tumbles over the edge. The vehicle was going so fast that the force of it drives the car at an angle. The Winter Soldier jumps through the car out the back window as it falls. He pushes himself off the back bumper to the side so that he doesn’t slam into the SUV as it hits the roof. The vehicle crashes through the ceiling while The Soldier rolls to a safe landing to the side. He pops back up and runs to the hole he just made in the roof. He jumps down through it and jumps through the wreckage. He doesn’t slow at all from his breakneck pace as he charges to where the closest port is to deactivate the security system.

.oOo.

                Billy has been running for several minutes. His little body is tired and he’s lost. He’s been coming to this building his whole life but he doesn’t have any sense of direction. He only knows one place to go and that’s the locker room. He wants to go there but there is a metal wall in the way. He looks up at it and sniffles. He slaps his fists against it but it won’t go away.

                “Mmmmm.” He whines as he hobbles over to the corner of the wall and the metal barrier and curls into a ball. He can hear the sound of approaching footsteps and the mean voices he’s been running from. He’s tired. He doesn’t want to run anymore. He wants his mother.

.oOo.

                The Winter Soldier pulls open the secret access panel with The Weapon and removes the glove from the palm of that hand. There is a small screen with a scanner inside the panel. A special ultraviolet code on the palm of The Weapon is one of the only things that can be used to remotely deactivate the security system from the outside. The scanner reads the code, authorizes it and pulls up the barriers.

.oOo.

                The footsteps grow faster when they see him curled with his back to them in the corner.

                “Finally we can get out of here.” Doom says with a pleased groan.

                The metal wall moves up. Billy picks his head up and crawls through when there is just enough space for him to squeeze.

                “What? No! Oh come on!” Doom complains.

                Billy breathes heavily as he runs down the hall about thirty more yards. He’s at the locker rooms. There is no door. He runs inside following the most familiar scent he knows. The lockers each stand as tall as a person and two feet wide. Billy finds the one that belongs to his mother and threads his fingers through the diamond shaped hole patterns in the metal door. He scrunches his face up and yanks on the door. The force breaks the lock. Billy squeaks with approval and climbs inside the locker. He fumbles to stand on a pair of sneakers and reaches up for the spare set of clothes and the towel hanging from hooks on the locker’s sides. He pulls them down to him and cuddles up in them like they’re a blanket. They smell like his mommy. He feels better but still not safe. He sniffles and buries his face in the slightly scratchy towel. He’s so frightened.

.oOo.

                The Winter Soldier runs through the maze of SHIELD HQ desperately looking for his son. Calling out for him could do more harm than good. He can only guess where Billy could have fled to. He takes a gamble and heads for the first floor. Whatever happened with Ingrid probably happened in that area, he reasons. Ingrid would have had Billy in the nursery when this all happened. Billy could have gone to the locker room. There isn’t a door like most rooms. Billy isn’t tall enough yet to turn standard height door handles. He rationalizes his decision, becoming more confident each second. Maybe it’s just his desperation to be right instead of any kind of logic.

                He gets to the foot of the stairs and discovers a guard. The guard didn’t hear him he was so quiet, even at this pace. The Soldier draws a knife and slits the guard’s throat to the bone. He keeps going without pause. If there are guards that’s a good sign. He’s approaching the locker room from the opposite direction of the nursery. He rounds the corner.

                Bam.

                The Winter Soldier goes spinning through the air, hit by a blast of energy he didn’t see coming. He tumbles on the ground and pushes himself up immediately. He draws his guns and stupidly tries the same thing he just did. He gets low this time, sliding across the ground and shooting at the same time. Doom is there with six guards with riot gear. It’s going to be hard to cut them. He shoots for their tibias instead. He hits two of them. Then he’s rolling up onto his feet and charging at Doom while firing every bullet he has. Doom presses a button activating the force field around his armor. The Soldier gun’s click empty. He takes cover just inside the locker room as the guards adjust their aim around the eight foot force field surrounding Doom. The drawback of the force field is that Doom can’t attack while it’s activated.

                Winter pulls out a different set of guns from his shoulder holsters. He takes a breath and turns around the corner, he repels off the wall, flips over the top of Doom and his force field lands, down and shoots the guards at point blank between the cracks in their armor. Most of them stumble. The ones that stand get pelted with more bullets and two firm kicks.

                Doom drops his shield when The Soldier’s abdomen is open during a kick. He takes his opportunity, flashes to his side and punches him straight in the stomach. The blow is devastating. The Soldier reels backward. His lower ribs are broken, he probably has some kind of internal bleeding. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of his organs just ruptured. And…

                He composes himself and comes at Doom as if the punch didn’t even graze him. He snarls and drops his guns, favoring the personal feel of a knife in his hand. Doom blocks his attacks with his superior armor for the first five strikes. Then The Winter soldier drops and kicks Doom off his feet. He probably just tore something in his leg to do it but he doesn’t care. He switches to a bigger knife. He raises The Weapon as high as it will go and plunges the knife into Doom’s armor between the neck and breastplate.

                He pulls it back and does it again and again. There is movement behind him. He swivels and shields himself with the weapon from another blast of energy. Doom used magic to disguise himself as one of the guards. His disguise disintegrates revealing the real Doom in full armor, unharmed.

                “You’re very good.” Doom says amusedly as he claps his hands. “I can see why Hydra would want your son so badly. If he’s anything like you he’ll make a fine new Winter Soldier.”

                The icy planes are whipped by wind cold enough to freeze the flesh off of bones in a minute. Nothing survives this. This is death.

                The Winter Soldier lashes out with new fervor. If Doom expected him to lose his cool and make mistakes he cleared did not understand what he is dealing with. The attacks are fast. A jab to the face, chop to the side, boot to the back of the knee. Then throwing him over his shoulder and twisting his arm unnaturally. Doom howls but it’s not over for him yet. The Soldier grabs him by the throat with The Weapon and repeatedly punches him in the chest, putting as much pressure into as he can. He backs Doom into the wall and switches hands. Doom snags his human hand and breaks the fingers. The Weapon connects with Doom’s breastplate so hard it dents inward.

                Doom forces him down with his bent wrist in a submission hold that The Soldier will not submit to. He pulls Doom over him and kicks him with both feet in the abdomen. Doom looks up to aim at the same time as The Soldier rolls his whole body into punching the mask off his face. The enchanted, impregnable piece of armor’s fastenings wane under the blow but do not snap. The blow still does damage. Blood splatter around the edges. The bones of his face are probably broken. Maybe if he can just rip the head off his shoulders he can bypass the armor problem. Doom doesn’t give him the chance to try it. He replaces his force field pushing The Soldier back against the wall and pinning him there. The immense pressure pushes the air out of his lungs.

                “Mamma?”

                Doom and The Soldier look and see that Billy is standing in the entry way of the locker room clutching Bucky’s shirt to his chest.

                The Soldier digs the elbow of The Weapon into the wall, cracking until he falls through. Doom pulls down the energy shield and goes to retrieve the child.

                “NOOO!” Bucky screeches. He climbs back through the wall and charges Doom full on. He rams into him, tackling him to the ground. The Soldier rolls off of him and snags Billy. He runs down the hallway with Doom right behind him using his ability to fly to outpace him significantly. Doom holds up his hands to fire another blast. The Soldier envelops his son with his arms and body. The blast sends them straight into a wall. The Soldier doesn’t get up so easily this time. He took all of the force of that to spare Billy. Blood runs from his nose and mouth. Billy cries in terror. “It’s okay. Shhh.” The Soldier slowly forces himself up. He knows the exit is just a few hundred feet down this hallway. But Doom has him cornered. Bucky huffs out blood with every gasp for air as he glares down Doom from the short distance between them. All he has to do is get past him.

                He sprints on legs that shouldn’t be able to. He runs straight into Doom and then he drops down and slides to his side. Doom flinches to react. Bucky slides Billy down the hallway on his shirt.

                “Go Sweat Pea! Go!” Bucky urges. Billy stays there and cries. His body is exhausted and his mommy is here. Where would he go? “Sweet Pea! Please, Run!” Tears stream down his cheeks in frustrated agony. Any further words get knocked out of him when Doom kicks him in the gut again. He goes flying through the air and then tumbling on the floor.

                “Mommy!” Billy gets up and starts waddling towards him on his sore little knees.

                “NO! YOU STAY AWAY FROM HIM!” Bucky screams, getting to his feet yet again. Billy sees his mother running and starts running in the same direction. Thankful it’s in the right direction.

                Doom stays put and snags The Soldier by the throat. His armor runs and electric current through The Soldier, solidifying him in place. His muscles are clenched and unresponsive to his orders. It’s horribly painful and Doom now has him vulnerable. Doom puts the palm of his other glove on The Soldier head, summoning up another energy blast.

                “MOMMY!” Billy sobs.

                Then suddenly Doom and The Winter Soldier go hurling through the air in a violent explosion. The Soldier gets slammed to the ground  while Doom gets thrown down most of the length of the hallway. The rocket hit Doom right in the back. The Soldier’s head snaps towards where it must have come from. Standing there missing a leg supporting herself on a push broom with a rocket launcher over her left shoulder and a diaper bag full of rockets over her right, is Ingrid. She used the tools in the operating room and the contents of the first aid kit Roger Rogers dropped to stop the bleeding from her severed leg.

                “I found the armory.” She says as explanation.

                The Soldier yelps when he moves then grits his teeth through the pain. He scoops up his baby into his arms and goes as fast as he can down the hallway with Ingrid firing rockets down the corridor at Doom for good measure. That slows him down enough for them to get to the exit.

                Exactly on cue Steve lands down in the War Machine armor.

                “Bucky!” He catches him before he falls over.

                Wade pulls up onto the curb in the cop car and opens the door. “Hey gorgeous, why don’t you come take a ride with me?” Wade says to Ingrid. Ingrid thankfully slides into the back seat.

                Doom emerges from the fiery lobby looking pissed.

                “Steve, takes us home now!” Bucky says breathlessly.

                “ _Hold on tightly_.” JARVIS instructs. The thrusters on the armor’s boots carry them off the ground and on their way in an instant. Steve holds onto Bucky as tight as he can while Bucky encapsulates Billy between their bodies. It’s a short flight home. “ _Brace for the glass!”_ Bucky holds onto Steve as firmly as he can while still bearing the pain.

                The crash through the windows of their living room. Steve carries Bucky down the hall to the nursery and closes the door. JARVIS activates the security measures Bucky has in place. Doom would have to take down the whole building to get to them and even that might not do it. The twins are already there waiting for them.

                “Mommy!”

                “Mom!”

                Steve sets Bucky down against the wall with the mural painted on it. Bucky is still clutching onto Billy. JARVIS strips the armor off Steve. He falls onto the ground and scrambles to look over his mate.

                “Buck! Bucky, look at me Baby.” Steve tilts his chin up. Bucky winces. His hands are shaking. “Sasha get the medical kit from under the floor tile!” Sasha and Jamie get on it.

                Bucky places a hand on his stomach below his navel and presses slightly. It feels like being stabbed. He rests his head back against the wall and closes his eyes. Billy, Sasha, and Jamie are safe. This is a good thing he tries to tell himself. He was wrong to trust Bucky Barnes about any of this. Especially that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That was... emotionally taxing. On top of that this week is my midterms. Blah! So, since you now want to scream at me and call me a lying whore, why don't we discuss what that last bit was alluding to? 
> 
> Here's what just happened, in case somehow you are reading this without having just read the chapter. Bucky got in a fight with Victor Von Doom. Victor has armor with redonculous specs that pretty much make him the hardest fucker to kill out there. People have tried. It's ain't easy. Bucky sustains damage which is causing him pain in his abdomen. This great disruption in his body has led him to assume that the little zygote inside him is no more. I don't know if technically this is a miscarriage. The egg could have not even implanted yet or maybe it has but it's still just a tiny, tiny ball of cells. It's a ball of stem cells basically. But fertilization has happened! I am not going to argue when life begins because that is wwwwaaayyyy outside my pay grade. The important thing for the rest of the series is that Bucky thinks he just had a miscarriage regardless if that's the technical term OR if that is in fact what happened. 
> 
> The Uterus is a strange and magical thing, Bucky's is even more so. And those eggs! Give it up for those puppies! Let's consider what has happened to Bucky's eggs so far. As you may know you have all the eggs you will ever have when you are born. Bucky's eggs were mutated just like the rest of him was, they were then cyrogenically frozen, electrocuted, drugged, and God knows what else for 70 years. They are survivors. Bucky's uterus is just as super as the rest of him and so are those eggs. I'd also like to point out that the uterus is the strongest muscle in the human body. Take that and apply what we know about super soldiers... see what I'm getting at here? 
> 
> This is going to have a happy, disgustingly cute ending... in part 2. 
> 
> -The Trollop


	70. Chapter 70

_“Tonight’s top story is the attack on an elementary school here in New York. And not just any elementary school, the school where Steve Rogers and James Buchanan Barnes send their children. While disaster was striking all over the world, the Rogers family children were the real target. The school has asked that their name not be broadcasted for the safety of it’s students and faculty. What we can say is this: At 9:30 am this morning the Rogers children’s school was invaded by four dozen highly trained assassins belonging to the same organization that captured and tortured James Barnes for seventy years. It’s unclear what their motives were at this time, although the evidence suggests this was either a kidnapping or an attempt on the children’s lives. Amazingly none of the students at the school were harmed. The scene ended in a massacre of the assassins themselves. Several known vigilantes came to the aid of the children including Hell’s Kitchen’s Daredevil. It seems New York’s Superhero community takes care of its own. The rest of the story is still being uncovered. We’d like to remind you all that their safety does depend on our digression. Here at CNN Nightly News we strive to tell you the story without harming those who defend us. We’ll update you when we have more information.”_

.oOo.

                _“This morning we are bringing you live coverage of a welcome back party unlike any other. After being absent since the battle with Ultron ten years ago, the Prince of Asgard has returned to Earth. Behind me now he is standing waving at the press. Thor can we have a word?” The News reporter leans over the barrier set up by Stark industries for this press conference about his return. The velvet rope does little to dissuade the news people and Thor doesn’t seem to mind their peculiar ways._

                _“You may have many if you like.” He says with his usual glowing smile._

_“What brings you back to planet earth after all of this time?”_

_“My friends needed me. Their numbers were few and the danger was becoming insurmountable. I arrived when I was notified by Heimdale of their struggle. Though I suppose you know not who that is.”_

_“Why did you stay away?”_

_“…” Thor clams up suddenly. The change in mood is palatable. He hold up his hand and turns to leave. “I think that’s enough questions.”_

.oOo.

                Steve and the kids wheel Bucky out of the exit of the hospital. Bucky jiggles his leg anxiously. He gets out of the wheel chair the hospital loaned them as soon as they get into the parking garage.

                “Bucky what are you-!” Steve ask incredulously.

                “I need you to not ask me questions because what comes next is something that has to be done and any kind of back talk is going to end with me tying you up and bringing you along like luggage.”

                Steve stands there unable to form words with Bucky looking into his eyes so intensely. He swallows his protests.

                “We’re running aren’t we?” Steve asks. If his stomach hadn’t already felt like a hole ever since he picked Bucky up on the steps of SHIELD HQ it would have then.

                “Yes.” Bucky says without wavering. Steve steels his nerves.

                “Tell me what to do.”

**2 months Later**

_“Here with us live tonight is the legendary owner of Stark Industries and the man under the Iron Man armor, Mr. Tony Stark.” The anchor introduces. She’s a pretty woman, the kind Tony is usually nice to. Tonight he looks like he wants to throw his coffee on her. He has coffee in a thermos in his hand. He doesn’t look like he’s been sleeping at all recently. He hasn’t maintained his beard as well either._

_“Hi.” He says, looking nothing like his usual charming self._

_“Mr. Stark would you-.”_

_“I’m going to cut you off there because I feel like whatever you’re about to say is going to annoy me. I have a shorter fuse than The Hulk lately and just as pleasant a reaction.” Tony takes a drink from his thermos while glaring at the camera._

_“Okay then… what would you like to talk about?”_

_“My friends have been missing now for two months, as you and pretty much everyone on planet earth know. I have been trying my damnedest to figure out how everyone knows they disappeared from even my knowledge but I just…” Tony pinches the bridge of his nose. He takes a deep breath and drinks more coffee. “My friends got the living hell scared out of them two months ago. So did- I was one of the first people to see those kids when they were born, I built their nursery even, I-. I can’t believe they’re just gone…” The News anchor is speechless. “Anyway, enough about me. If you or anyone you know knows something about where that family is, keep it to yourself!” He says pointing at the camera. “I will find out who leaked this and I will restrict your access to all of my companies products and services you &%*$ing prick! Those kids deserve better than this.”_

 

.oOo.

                Natasha looks at the note in her hand like somehow after practically days of staring at it, it will change to say something else. She stands in the middle of the untouched living room of the Barnes Rogers Suite. It is exactly how they left it, in ruin. They tossed everything that they deemed necessary in containers. Most of the things they brought were for the children. Their rooms are the most barren. Weapons have been taken. The nursery is particularly destroyed. They pulled out everything that was hidden in the walls and the floor. They took weapons, clothing, cooking items, and all of their children’s toys. And then they disappeared.

                She's has tried everything to track them down. There is nothing. Even the tracking chip in The Weapon is useless. The damage done to it during Christmas destroyed the thing. Natasha thought for certain that the dog at least would be of some use. Turns out the dog has a ‘privacy mode’. Bucky found it in the manual JARVIS made for him and activated it. They can’t track him.

                “Nat?” Barton says sleepily as he rubs his eyes and approaches her where she stands motionless. “Come on, you can do this when it’s daylight out. Let’s get some sleep.” He’s stand wearing a brace around his chest and arm from the injury he received in the marathon battle.

                Natasha looks over her shoulder at him. She looks pained. Pained the way she only ever gets when Bucky or Clint is angry with her. They’re entirely different kinds of hurt but it’s still the same look.

                “Do you think-.”

                “No, I don’t.” Barton snaps. “My mind hasn’t been changed since the last time you did this. They’ll come back when they’re ready and not a second sooner. You can’t force this. They need time.”

                Natasha looks down at the note written in her first language.

**I’m sorry my darling. This isn’t your fault.**

                It was on her nightstand table the morning after the Rogers family evaporated from the face of the earth.

.oOo.

                He sets his favorite sniper rifle down on the porch. He carries it with him when he goes for a patrol of the area. Just in case. He rests easier because he’s almost certain he won’t. There is a reason he took his family to the most rural place in Canada he could find that still had indoor plumbing. This place was once an outpost where people scanned the sky for satellites during the cold war. The CIA set it up but abandoned it in the 90’s. It has three rooms and a loft. One of those ‘rooms’ is a closet-like bathroom. The place was a wreck when they first got there but it had good bones. Now thanks to Steve’s hard work and Stark’s generator technology, the place feels like a home. Bucky closes the door behind him to keep the heat in. When they first got there it was below zero outside, now it’s mild weather but the kids still prefer their home toasty. They’re up playing games in the loft. That’s their private space up there, Bucky doesn’t bother them. He goes over to the wood stove and puts another log on the fire. Roger Rogers raises his fury head. He and Billy are curled up on Roger’s bed together. Bucky goes to him and pets the dog’s snout. Bucky took a gamble bringing him with them. He wasn’t sure if the dog was really untraceable. But after what Roger did for their family Bucky couldn’t bear to part with him. He’s responsible in part for saving Billy’s life, he’s essential. Billy cuddles with him all of the time.

                “Maaammma!” Billy yawns as he rolls over onto his back and reaches up for his mother. “Cow?”

                “Hi Sweat Pea.” Bucky picks him up and nuzzles him. He carries him to the only real bedroom and closes the door behind him. The room is kept dark and cool. Cool so they can sleep and dark because Bucky doesn’t want to see himself when he’s dressing or undressing. He turns the light off in the bathroom when he’s in there too. He shaves by feel with a knife while he sits out on the porch. He knows Steve is worried but he’s solved that problem too.

                 He unbuttons the top half of his shirt and pulls his arm out the hole. He won’t undress any more than that. He lays down with Billy and tucks him into his chest so he can nurse before they take their nap together. They nap a lot. If Bucky isn’t out patrolling or eating dinner with his family, he’s napping. He doesn’t eat much these days. When he does it’s because he wants to make his family happy, not because he’s hungry. The fight with Doom did serious damage to his stomach and intestines. He still hasn’t gotten over the indigestion and nausea that it’s caused. He’s never taken so long to heal before. It worries him but there isn’t anything he can do about it. Occasionally he’ll feel shooting pains so strong he doubles over while he’s walking. He’s alone when he goes on patrol so it’s alright that he cries when it happens. Sometimes he sits in the woods and cries. He has favorite spots to do it.

                 He started nursing Billy again all of the time right after the incident. Bucky didn’t see a reason to deny him anymore and he desperately wanted that kind of closeness with his child again after what almost happened. It keeps the achiness away as well. He’s constantly in some kind of pain but his chest has started to hurt again too. His glands are swollen but he knows what’s causing that as well. The worst thing about these last two months has been living them practically without his mate.

.oOo.

                 It’s quiet. Birds caw distantly, water moves, the forest cracks and pops like it does. Steve had no idea just how noisy quiet could be. He casts his line way out into the water. Their new cabin home is only a fifteen minute walk from a lake. It was mostly frozen when they got there but now it’s got fish. Steve taught himself how to fish just like he taught himself how to install a hot water heater, re-shingle a roof, install new plumbing, replace windows, build a greenhouse, and a thousand other little things he’s had to do without help these past months. The instruction guides take up a row on their shelves of books and movies.

                Next to him he has a tackle box with hooks, line, bait, and a baggy of vegetables to snack on. They ran out of bread the day before last. Only three more days until Bucky says it’s okay to go get more. Bucky won’t let him go on a trip in the truck more than once every two weeks. He takes the truck and sometimes the dog for company and drives about 53 miles to the nearest general store. If he needs something else, he gets gas and drives another 75 miles to the nearest town with a hardware store, a proper grocery market, and a thrift store.

                He likes going to town. He gets lunch for himself and reads a paper. While he’s there he buys whatever he needs for his latest project on the cabin plus some things for entertainment. The thrift store has DVD’s and VHS’s. The VHS’s are cheap and numerous. Steve has found a lot of good movies by just buying the first twenty five titles he sees. Leaning how to use a VHS player was frustrating (rewinding?) but he figured it out just like everything else. Every time he goes he goes alone. Three more days and he gets to go again.

                It’s not that he enjoys the solitude. He feels like he’s constantly alone these days. It’s just when he’s gone he imagines that when he comes home Bucky will be waiting for him on the porch looking excited to see him. Maybe he’ll give him a welcome home kiss or a hug or _touch him in anyway_ like he used to when he’d come home from a mission. Bucky hasn’t felt comfortable with Steve touching him since the attack. It’s been two months since he’s had skin to skin contact with his mate. Their conversations have been about necessities and taking care of their children. Most of the time when they’re together they are silent. At night the kids sleep between them. He doesn’t know what to do. He thought he could do this. He still is doing it even like this but… living without his best friend and mate is intolerable. He wants to do something but he's affriad of the consequences. There is something very wrong with Bucky and Steve isn’t allowed to help. This isn’t how things are supposed to be between them. He doesn’t know how much longer he can keep this up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IIIIII'MMMMMMMMMM SOOORRRYYYYY! I had to! I'm writing another part, it had to end with conflict or the second part would be total shit! It will be okay! I promise.
> 
> So here is the way this is in my head
> 
> The Winter Soldier Becomes a Parent: Bucky learns how to love himself.  
> The Winter Soldier Goes Public Part 1: Bucky forgets it all.  
> The Winter Soldier Goes Public Part 2: Bucky falls back in love with the man he's given his life to. Things get better! Bucky Conquers the world! Everyone becomes his slave and no one hurts his children EVER again.... Or something. It will be shorter than these other two. Just... subscribe to series. I'll start writing again probably tomorrow. Midterms are done, I'm on break, it's all good!


End file.
